Corona Devo 3272

Look out.  ...God's on to us.  

We might say the right things and we might even be doing the right things, but are we sincere and reverent and sold out for our Lord today?

The answer (for some of us) is "No", and God knows it.  

I was convicted and inspired when God called me (us?) on the carpet about this in His Word today.  

The prophet Malachi does not mince words because God has instructed Him to speak His Truth, and so Malachi does.  

Malachi brings it, and look out, because it's apparent from what we read in the Bible today that God's on to us.  

If we are not fully living-for-Him, (and that means respecting Him and honoring God fully)...then we need to know that God knows.

And He is not pleased with our half-hearted offering to Him.  (I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies  ~Malachi 1:10).

Malachi Chapter 1 and 2 might not apply to you, but for many of us: Look out...God's on to us.  

(P.S. We are God's "priests".  Before Jesus came to earth, God ordained priests and most came from the tribe of Levi, hence the "Levites" and "Levitical" priests.  But after Christ came, the barrier was broken between man and God.  We are all priests now, commissioned by the Lord to share the truth of the Lord with others. 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  ~I Peter 2:9

The Lord is honed-in on us today and He is pressing...are we revering Him and are we offering our lives and our sacrifices to Him whole-heartedly?

Malachi mentions blemished offerings that the Israelites were putting on God's altar, and God noticed.  If we are luke-warm in living for Him, it is not cutting it for our King.  He notices, and He is not pleased.

The words of Malachi, (which are the words of God), cause us to really consider how authentically and how deeply we are serving God today.  And if we are not all-the-way, we had better look out, because He is on to us.  

~~ 

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name!  

“But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’ 

(7) “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. 

“Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’ 

“You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. (8) When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 

(9) “Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 

(10) “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings. (11) But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 

(12) “But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table. 

(13) You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord. 

(14) “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!  ~Malachi 1:6-14   

Look out.  ...God's on to us.  

He hears us when we pray for His blessing over our lives, our work, our teams.  And yet He also sees our hearts and our offerings to Him when they are half-way.  
Are we authentic and sold-out for Him?  

God hears our excuses of being too tired or too busy for Him.  (You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’...  ~~Malachi 1:13).

How then can we possibly expect Him to grant us His mercy and blessing, when we will not grant Him our full heart and worship?

~~~

Malachi's blunt words are about to apply to us, because if we have accepted Jesus into our hearts, then we are God's priests, and we have a job to do for the Lord: to share and declare Him to others.

Are we?

“Listen, you priests—this command is for you! (2 ) Listen to me and make up your minds to honor my name,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning to heart...

(5) “The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. (6) They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin. 

(7) “The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.   ~Malachi 2:1-2, 5-7


God's words (through Malachi) are powerful...and beautiful.  

God's purpose for those of us willing to share His Word/and His hope/and His truth with others...His purpose is to bring life and peace to us.  
First to us, and then for us to bring His life and peace to others.  

That's all we want, isn't it?  Life and peace.  God's life and peace within us: That's all we want, and that's all we need.  ...And that's what God gives.  (“The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them.  ~Malachi 2:5).

God's promises are right here for us in black and white.  In simple words that lead to His simple truth over our lives...but are our offerings to Him whole?  Pure?  Uncompromised?

And even if our offering was defiled last time, we can make a decision to honor our Lord fully and undefiled this time.  Today.  Now.

His life and peace await us.  

Listen to me and make up your minds to honor my name,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies...  ~Malachi 2:2

If we haven't been (honoring His name)...then we can make a change today.  And if we do/if we will...

Look out.  ...God's on to us.  

“The purpose of my covenant...was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them.  ~Malachi 2:5


Blessings,

sarah 

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com

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