Malachi 1:8-9 - You tell the people, ‘Lame animals are all right to offer on the altar of the Lord—yes, even the sick and the blind ones.’ And you claim this isn’t evil? Try it on your governor sometime—give him gifts like that—and see how pleased he is. ‘God have mercy on us,’ you recite; ‘God be gracious to us!’ But when you bring that kind of gift, why should he show you any favor at all?
Malachi was used of God after the Temple had been rebuilt for almost a century. The people were losing their enthusiasm for worship…bringing the lame and less perfect animals of their flocks to sacrifice in their rituals. The priests had even told them it was ok. They justified this until they even said what God wanted was too hard for them to do.
God loves us so deeply. It hurts him when we don’t feel the same. His love is mocked when we don’t always try our hardest to love him back. Our leftover or extra money is not what he wants….he wants our first fruits. Our leftover or extra time does him no good…he wants to plan our whole lives. What makes us think the things we don’t want any more will do God any good either.
I needed the reminder this morning to rethink what I give to God…and how I show Him that I love Him back. The winter snows…the traveling I am doing to look for a new home…have taken me out of a routine of worship at my regular church. I have justified leaving a few tithe payments off because I wasn’t there on Sundays to put them in the offering plate. My worship has become less enthusiastic….excuses to stay home easier to think of. I justified it in my heart because I thought I needed to put some distance between me and this church that helped me so much these last 6 years. I thought it would make the move easier…less bittersweet to leave these precious friends.
Isn’t it crazy how easy it is for satan to twist our thoughts off of worshiping God. I needed the reminder to always ask God what he wants me to do….not try to justify what I thought was the best way to handle it. I will try not to think of all the blessings I might have missed while I was making all those excuses…and concentrate on a way to focus more on showing God I love him more than anything.
Father…thank you for the reminder that you deserve my best….not my leftovers. Forgive me for the times that I have justified less perfect gifts to you. Help me to always pick out the best I have to give….so you will see that I love you more than I love myself. Amen.
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