Malachi means “my messenger.” As we open Malachi this morning, we see God is sending a message to His people living in Jerusalem. Over time, these returned exiles have strayed, and Malachi’s message deals with God’s six disputes with His people. One of these disputes is seen in Malachi three: “You have said terrible things about me,” says the Lord. “But you say, ‘What do you mean? What have we said against you?’ “You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins? (Malachi 3:13–14, NLT)
Wow! After all the goodness God has shown His people, they concluded it doesn’t pay to love God! God has been reduced to a deposit on their bank statement, and the amount wasn’t enough to cause them to bother with loving God. This would be like having a child, and the child’s relationship with you, the parent, is judged based on the size of the allowance you give to this child. In other words, they will only love you if it is lucrative and worth their time. Interestingly, the people of God have become so hardened in their hearts that when Malachi raises the issue, they are surprised that God should accuse them—what evidence does God have to justify this charge against them? Ouch!
None of us is that far off from doing the same thing. Our relationship with God can become blessing-oriented instead of love-based. We can become focused on what we think God should give us. We can focus on the wicked prospering and the righteous suffering. Before long, we can become blind to what Christ has done to redeem us and make us His own. Believers, let’s love God! Let’s seek His kingdom first! Let’s rejoice that He has adopted us into His family! Let’s love God—He is worth it!
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Malachi 1-4.