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Devotional for the week – 11 August 2008 Sermon Title: That Which is God’s Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. “They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not” (Malachi 3: 16-18). Introduction The people in Malachi had grown disillusioned and jaded, and no longer trusted God. They saw no point in serving God and strayed from the path of following Him. Their worship had descended into a meaningless ritual of actions without heartfelt devotion. Yet it was not God who had changed (Malachi 3: 6-7), it was people who had become unfaithful and had turned from the holy ways of God. Let us look at the charges that the Lord leveled against them. The First Charge: Robbing God As recorded in Malachi 3:8-12, the first charge was that the people were cheating God in the tithes and offerings due to Him. Withholding these was a sign of their disrespect and disregard for Him as their sovereign God. And it brought with it, as in the 10 Plagues of Exodus, and in Malachi 3:9, a “curse” from God. Today, we need to acknowledge God’s sovereignty through our tithes as a sign that we know who we are indebted to. The Second Charge: Speaking Against God Secondly, as Malachi 3:13-15 records, the next charge was that the people were speaking harshly against God. This was because the people in Malachi had believed that it was useless to serve God and that they have not earned any benefit in serving and obeying God. They wrongly believed that their efforts in disciplining themselves in the holy ways of God was useless especially since God did not seem to want to punish the evil-doers. But their views were a reflection of their own sinful substitution of God’s measure of righteousness with their own standards. Their discontent arose precisely because they had used their own measure of righteousness to determine what God should do and when He should do it. We should note that this attitude is not only confined to the people in Malachi. In 2 Peter 3:8-9, we read how the New Testament church also began to wonder if God was going to act against the injustice they saw as those who did evil seemed to go unpunished. Yet 2 Peter also gives the assurance that God will act with justice, but it would be in His own timing since it is not for people to dictate when God, the universe’s Judge, should act. Thinking otherwise would lead to an attitude of self-righteousness. This was the attitude of the people in Malachi’s time. To them, following God had become a trade. They expected something in return for their following and serving of God. The long wait and low yield had left them doubting the trustworthiness of God and the value in following Him. Even today, we ourselves may look at ministry and at the Church and wonder at the worth of following God and serving in His church since there are such great sacrifices to be made. And sometimes like the people in Malachi, we may even begin to doubt if there is any point at all – in following God and serving in His Church. But when we face doubt, let us remember Acts 26:18 which speaks of the vision that God gave to Paul, to touch lives for God by “opening their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by their faith in God”. We should remember that this is the ultimate goal of serving God. For when we surrender to the Lord, this brings light to those who live in darkness, forgiveness of sins and the salvation of souls unto God. Conclusion In Malachi 3:16-18, Scripture records that after hearing all these, those who feared God (who respected God) spoke to one another. In the face of all this rebellion against God, the faithful decide they have to convene and through the fellowship of believers they sought to strengthen their resolve to follow Him. Malachi records that God listened to them and was with them, declaring that they will be set apart as His people so that when He judged the rebellious, they will be spared in order for the world to see the difference between those who serve Him and those who do not. So today, let us put our trust into the hands of our Almighty God, committing to Him our tithes and service in the steadfast belief that in Him, it will surely bear eternal fruit. Prayer Lord Jesus, forgive me for having doubted You at various points in my life, for not trusting in Your goodness and for being unwilling to yield to You. Lord, I commit my whole life into Your hands today. Use all of me and all that You have provided me, as You will, for Your glory. Amen. Devotional based on a message by Rev Joel Yong
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