His Name Shall Be Great...

For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 1:11

Read the next sentence very careful as we study this verse taken from the prophetic book of Malachi… The things which you suffer upon this earth are a direct result of your lack of giving God the best which He deserves… This sentence embodies the meaning of today’s focus in the Old Testament; the Israelites were defiling the very alter of God; giving blemished sacrifices and believing that God would be pleased… It was through this that God rejected their cries and speaks this word through the prophet Malachi today… Make no mistake about it, God will be great among the nations whether you carry the torch of His will or are engulfed by it… Too often we believe that we can get over on God, we believe that just enough is enough and today we are reminded of what God truly requires of us… God requires that His name is great among the Gentiles and this is accomplished by receiving only the best which we can offer… This is not to say that we should be pouring thousands of dollars into the church but that we must give God our very best everyday of our lives… I recall growing up and how my father would speak about the importance of appearance and remembering who we are and who’s we are… I incorporate this lesson I learned in my early childhood to this devotion to say that you must remember that you are walking under the Most High and therefore anything less than your best will not qualify… In remembering who I am, I was able to decipher the road which I should be traveling… Knowing that I am a child of God, I know that there is nothing which God would not desire for me to have unless it would not be beneficial to me… I am a sinner saved by the grace of God… He didn’t give me leftover, He gave me His only begotten son and so it is time for me to fulfill the words of Paul in the 12^th chapter of his letter to Rome in which he said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” When you really begin to think about all that God has done for you and the paths which He has paved and set before you, it is your reasonable service to present your bodies as a living sacrifice… Notice that Paul says your bodies and not just your foot, hand, nose or eye… This is the same message we find in Malachi today, we have to present our entire being to the Lord which is the very best we can offer unto Him… The Lord requires you and anything else will simply not be enough… This is the problem that the Israelites faced; the sacrifices which they offered to the Lord were a part of a bigger problem which was the poor relationship that they desired with Him… The gifts offered unto God reflected the heart which His children had for Him… This is why the word of God tells us that we can tell a tree by its fruit… You have to give God your best if you want Him to know that you are putting forth your best…

The gifts (offered on the alter of the Lord) which have defects point to a bigger defect that must reside within you… The children of God are suffering upon this earth not because of God’s absence, but because of there ability to truly seek Him in purity… God says for my name shall be great among the heathen; everyone will come to know Him, everyone will get a glimpse of His sovereignty and everyone will indeed bow down before Him… The question today is will you do it by choice or by force… God doesn’t need you to be exalted; however, He has afforded you to a golden opportunity to step before Him correctly and be used by Him for His glory… This again requires a pure decision in which you totally turn your life over to Him… The word says, in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering… The key to your life is the purity which you give it over to the Lord… God is not pleased or satisfied with hand-me-downs or leftovers; as a result of giving these things we encounter trials and tribulations instead of peace and exaltation… God calls His chosen people to remember all that He had done for them and even for generations before them… He speaks of the love which he had for Jacob and how Esau suffered; today, know that God loves and cares for you but He simply will not accept just anything in return…  Let us take this moment in time to reflect on the goodness of God! Malachi reminds us today of the faithfulness that God has already shown and that we should simply adore his name through every trial and circumstance that we face… Often times we overlook the small things in the world and ultimately overlook the blessings that God has already bestowed… When you laid down last night, you assumed that you would sleep in peace; you assumed that the sun would rise again, but for some that isn’t always the case… God watched over you as you sleep and has set the time for the sun to rise again… Let everyone reflect on God’s goodness, you have the activity of your limbs and a job to go to… You have been kept and blessed beyond belief! His name is worthy to be praised and shall be great among the Gentiles… Every man and woman will come to know that there is only one God; there is only one that has the power and controls the heavens and the earth… God spoke everything into existence and it is by his grace and mercy that we are here today! Don’t worry about yesterday, that’s why its called the past; don’t worry about tomorrow, that’s why its called the future; instead focus on today because it is a gift, that’s why its called the present… Give God praise for seeing another day; give him honor for guiding you life and keeping you! Don’t focus on the things that may hurt sometimes, don’t focus on the trials that must come to your door; instead know that there is always a positive side, there is always an eye in ever storm… Hold to his Grace and know that He will continue to display his faithfulness in your life as long as you remain faithful…

BE BLESSED!!!