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Reading, studying, seeking…. (devo reflection)

Malachi 4:1 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.”

Lord, It is so easy to stand in judgment of others. Even when we don’t intend to, we judge. It’s easy to celebrate when we think someone gets what they deserve (especially if it’s someone not nice who gets a comeuppance). But this is not Your way. Help me

Malachi 4:2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.

Lord, As Jesus was dying on the cross, He prayed for the misguided soldiers who did not understand their actions. As He was dying, He prayed for His killers. Lord, Help me to have a heart like Jesus instead of a heart like the world.

Malachi 4:3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

Lord, Thank You for taking me through the entirety of the Old Testament, reading, studying, seeking. Thank You for showing up in my confusion and for being present in my understanding. Thank You for drawing me closer with every day, every chapter, every word. Help me to “Keep on asking…. Keep on seeking…. Keep on knocking…. (Matt 7:7), knowing that You are right there with me. Amen.

Malachi 4:4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.

Have a blessed day.

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Sound bites…. (devo reflection)

Malachi 3:6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”

I have pulled here, essentially, sound bites from Malachi 3. God doesn’t change, even when we are unfaithful. He wants to return to us and only asks that we return to Him first. He wants to bless us so abundantly that there’s not room enough to store all the blessings.

Malachi 3:7b “Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.

Sound bites aren’t bad, but it’s important to remember that they are only little chunks to help us hold on. Reading Malachi 3 shows that the verses here are barely the tip of what this chapter covers. The sound bites give you something to cling to as you do the hard work of making sense of God’s word and drawing closer to Him.

Malachi 3:10b “Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for verses I can cling to as I strive to know You more and live a life that’s pleasing to You. Draw me closer, Lord. Always. Amen.

Malachi 3:12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.

Have a blessed day.

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Getting there. Slowly…. (devo reflection)

Malachi 2:1 “And now, you priests, this warning is for you.

I’m still struggling with the notion that God has been baited into a shouting match with man, that He is defending Himself and His actions. That in no way fits the God of all creation that I know, and I know the issue is on my end. This is also the God of the Old Testament, prior to Jesus’s earthly life, death, and resurrection. Everything changed for us with Jesus.

Malachi 2:2 If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.

At its heart, this is a reminder to priests of how to live in covenant with God—revere Him and stand in awe of His name. I know that I am trying to be better at this, and in the face of a gorgeous sunrise or breathtaking mountain vista, I’m easily in awe of Him, but it is the quiet, ordinary moments that I’m still working on that same feeling of awe. I’m getting there. Slowly.

Malachi 2:5 “My covenant was with [Levi], a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name.

God of all creation, Thank You for the easily awe-inspiring moments and the moments of quiet joy. Help me to revere You and stand in awe of Your name every moment of every day. Amen.

Malachi 2:6 True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin.

Have a blessed day.

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God is greater than this…. (devo reflection)

Malachi 1:2a “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’

Malachi triggers a long held belief that you should not question or argue with God. Ironically, at this point in my faith journey, I no longer subscribe to the “Don’t question God” philosophy. I think what bothers me here is that it feels like almighty God is being lured into defending Himself, and that’s not ok.

Malachi 1:6a “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.

I can question God. I can be angry. I can wail and rail against the unfairness of a situation. But at the end of the day, I know God loves me, He loves my loved ones (He loves my enemies, too, for that matter), and at the end of the day, even though I don’t understand, I trust His love and His promises. This chapter of Malachi, where He seems to be arguing back and defending Himself, is too human a reaction for me. God is greater than this.

Malachi 1:6b “It is you priests who show contempt for my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

Lord, Thank You for the ability to immerse myself in Your word. Thank You for helping me try to untangle prejudices and preconceived notions from my own past. Help me, always, to draw closer to You. Amen.

Malachi 1:7 “By offering defiled food on my altar.“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ “By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible.

Have a blessed day.