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 12th 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 their 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!!!
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