I’m sure you’ve probably heard the phrase “preaching to the choir” before. (It is like trying to convince someone of something that they already believe.) If you are reading these devotions we post, chances are you are already believers and have heard these things before, but sometimes even the choir needs to recheck the condition of their hearts from time to time.

That is what Malachi addressed in his prophecy to the remnant of Judah. In chapters 1-2 he was preaching to the choir of those who had returned from captivity but still had some self-examination to do. You would think that they had all learned their lesson and the pendulum had swung back to the side of being extreme in their devotion to God in order to prevent another captivity from coming again. And in a way, they did get extreme, but in a legalistic sense rather than in a spiritual sense. It was out of this swing to the extreme that the sects of the Pharisees and Sadducees developed, who were very strong and influential in Yeshua’s day.

So what was Malachi’s message? What did he see in “the choir” (the “godly” remnant who had been privileged to return from captivity) that needed to be addressed? Yes, they still had some baggage that needed to be unpacked. His message was all about giving God their very best. The people had started (all too soon) to get slack in their devotion to God. They grew weary of all the sacrifices that were prescribed every week. Their worship became a drudgery to them. They began to tire of going to the Temple all the time and started offering to God their leftovers. So the Lord let them know how He felt about their attitude in Malachi 1:6-7,

A son honors his father, and a servant his master. “If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?” says the Lord of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, “In what way have we despised Your name?” You offer defiled food on My altar, but say, “In what way have we defiled You?” By saying, “The table of the LORD is contemptible.”

In Malachi 1:8, He called them out by saying, “Offer these leftovers to your governor! Would he be pleased with you?!”

Do you give the Lord your very best? Do you spend quality time with Him each day or has your devotion time become a drudgery for you? Do you wait until the end of the day when you are exhausted to pick up your Bible or to pray, only to nod off to sleep after a couple of minutes? Do you give the Lord your first fruits, the first tithes from your paycheck, or do you drop into the offering plate a few measly dollars or shekels that you have left over at the end of the week? Are you plugged in, productively contributing to your congregation, or do you go to one service a week out of a sense of obligation, not really getting your soul fed? (Ouch! I’m preaching to myself too!)

The good news is that the Lord is patient and gracious. He will not condemn you or turn you away when you come to Him. He is waiting with open arms for you to run to Him and leap into His arms. He always, Always, ALWAYS gives you His very best! And He desires with desire (that’s a lot of desire) to bless you to overflowing when you give Him your very best, not out of a sense of obligation or drudgery, but with a pure, open heart of love for Him.

Be encouraged in your walk with the Lord today. Refocus your eyes on Him, and don’t worry about all the “stuff” that is demanding your attention for a while. Those precious moments with your Father will help take care of all the “stuff” when you get back to it. It’s a lot to do, and yes, it is a sacrifice, but it is so worth it! As you offer the Lord your best, He will work in you and through you to be a blessing to others. It’s a win-win for you and for Him.

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased…Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead…make you complete [perfect] in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight…” (Hebrews 13:15-16, 20-21)

May you be blessed to overflowing as you run to Him today! And don’t sweat the “stuff”; He’s got that under control too. Just give Him–YOU!

 

–dmrf