“ For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.”

Hebrews 7:18-19

CLICK HERE TO READ: Hebrews Chapter 7

A better hope.

It sounds so promising in light of our striving for perfection. The idea of attaining flawlessness with Christ we are unable to achieve on our own. 

Although, the commandments set before Israel are for their protection and pointing them toward a better life with fewer consequences; they still resisted their guiding principles. As do we.

The writer of Hebrews urges them to remember the story of Melchizedek. Resembling the Son of God, he has no genealogy.  Abraham honored him with a tenth of the spoils out of the gratitude of his heart. He says, “It is indisputable that the inferior is blessed by the superior”. (vs 7)

No Levitical priesthood following in the line of Abraham could assure Israel of right relationship with God. They were busy making amends for their own sin as well as the sins of the people they served. They, and the law are clearly insufficient to save anyone.

Therefore, a plan was in place to offer a better hope for their souls …and ours!  Jesus, the one “high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (vs. 26)

It is the love of God showered on our hurting world.

We draw near to God when we realize life is empty without Him. When we’ve tried things our way, outside His protection and reaped the consequences. Rules are useless and weak when our hearts are deceived.

The gratitude of a changed heart, on the other hand, understands Christ pays the debt we cannot pay. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). He does this through His own indestructible life.

We experience a rising peace in the turmoil of our own imperfection. Moreover, others see our victorious life as we walk with a kinder heart, a softer tone of voice, and continual mercy for those who offend us.  

The Prince of Peace fills our hearts with contentment and transforms the priorities. Striving for perfection in work, possessions, or status becomes invigorating faith for a hope-filled gospel!

Amen and thank you Jesus!

Dearest Lord, as you open the eyes of our hearts today, help us see areas where we continue to strive. Areas that glorify us and not you. Please make us aware of pride and discontent with material or physical things that take our eyes off of you. Please help us be content in the everyday blessings you shower upon us. Prince of peace, lead us to gratefulness and a willingness to please you above pleasing ourselves. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  And this we will do if God permits.
Hebrews 6:1-3

Hope in the finished work of Jesus.

It’s all we have.

No work based faith will bring us closer to God or into heaven because God looks at the heart. No act of contrition, tradition, or ritual of religion will bring us closer to God unless we embrace His son, Jesus, and receive love and faith as God’s child.

The author of Hebrews urges us to move forward in the faith Jesus provides. Beyond the foundational principles set by Jesus Himself: Repentance, faith, resurrection of the dead, eternal judgment. It’s heart wrenching to listen to His plea to his Jewish brothers regarding their search for eternal life.

Jesus told the Pharisees in John 5:39-40–“You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me. Yet, you refuse to come to me that you may have life. For, if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me.”

English Standard Version, Bible Gateway

Jesus also clarifies whoever has true faith will endure to the end. Those who flirt with Christianity and try to do things out of their own strength will fall away. It is utter dependence on Jesus that our hope is built, nothing else.

JOHN 10:22-30

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

English Standard Version, Bible Gateway

It’s not unusual for people to fear change and loss. The radical life of following Jesus was too much for a law abiding Jew to swallow. Sometimes it is for us too. Giving up status, work, opportunity, family relationships, and cultural rituals passed down for centuries was life altering for the people of Israel. They knew they would embrace poverty, suffering, persecution, famine, and sword as they submitted all to Christ…..

Just as Jesus suffered, they too, would endure suffering for following Him.

Although, they would do it with hope for eternal life and an inner peace of their souls. A peace only He can provide. It was worth it for them and He is worth it for us. We won’t be like those who’s outward appearance of shallow faith becomes evident under hardship. There will be no lack of fruit flowing from our changed hearts. Moreover, we will avoid the world’s empty promises that ultimately lead to bitterness and hopelessness.

Because Jesus calls us to examine our hearts and seek healing in His all consuming power over death and despair. He is calling each of us every day. Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, place your burdened soul down and trust me to carry you through.

I’m praying my heart and your heart is His today, friends. As we reach out to Him with all we have, even if it is a tiny thread of hope…..He will multiply it ten-fold with each step of faith. Love you!

Do you ever feel like something important is slipping away and you have no control over it?

I’m wondering if the first century Jewish Christians felt the same way. The torture tactics, emperor Nero subjected Christians to so they would not follow “The Way” were chilling.

How would the picture of Hebrews 11:37 affect our stand in claiming Jesus today?

We see a picture of terror for these first century brothers and sisters in Christ that our soft lifestyle of abundance might just cave under. Something important was slipping away and they had no control over it. Fear of losing temporary physical life was overcoming faith in eternal life with Christ.

The writer of Hebrews is urgently calling them to hold fast to the hope of Christ and look beyond their circumstances.

Our ladies group is studying “Better, A Study of Hebrews, by Jen Wilken. She points us toward the repeated phrase “hold fast” and what we see the first century Jews holding fast to in the following verses….. (LifeWay Publishing,Wilkin, 2020 p. 53)

Hebrews 3:6

Hebrews 3:14

Hebrews 4:14

Hebrews 6:18

Hebrews 10:23

I can’t help but remember and ‘hold fast’ to the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:28

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Lord Jesus, help us fix our eyes on you and away from our lives in this temporary place. Please forgive us our grumbling in our comfort. Help us see the suffering of today’s Christians in China, Korea, the Middle East, India, and Africa as they face the same persecution your first church faced. May we continually keep them in prayer as they suffer and offer them any support you lay upon our hearts to offer.

Father, the faith of our children is slipping away, please help them hold fast. Our elderly are slipping away in fear of disease and isolation from their families, please comfort them. You see our country slipping away due to sin and rebellion, please help her turn from her sin and seek you again.

You are our confidence. You are our hope. You lift us up when we are too weak to cope in this world and remind us Jesus, you overcame the world. Our hope is in you and life with you forever. Although, we will not escape the daily tribulations of this world, you will be with us and guide us. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Proverbs 19:21

Do you ever wonder what shapes God’s call upon your life? Do you feel the same self-doubt and trepidation answering a “potential” call like I do, or does it fade with each step of faith? A motley life course often matures with natural ability, love of God, and hope for a fulfilling career. Nonetheless, a clear-cut calling may remain elusive us until that breathless moment of trust says “yes” to a persistent tug on our hearts.

Trust built with momentous highs of professional advancement, marriage, and children alongside valleys of suffering, loss, disappointment and fear. The peace from gospel truth may even come at a young age, shaping hints of a purpose towards the eternal realm. Yet, growing in confident assurance the gospel provides progresses slowly.

As time moves on, settling occurs and the opportunity to contemplate the elusive purpose arrives. It is here that the word of God speaks to a soft spot of discontent in my own heart. Proverbs 20:5 says, “The purpose of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”  Although, age should not be a factor, it is often present in the self-doubting fear of reaching deeper water.

Did Moses, at eighty years old, question leaving his settled life for a call to take the Israelites out of Egypt? He certainly did. Perhaps, he was content with being a shepherd. The details are not clear, however God’s plan for him shepherding people became very clear.

God saw the suffering of His people Israel. Exodus 7:3 says, “God heard them crying out because of their slave drivers and is concerned about their suffering.” So, now go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” (Exodus 7:10 NIV).

Although Moses protests, God insists. Exodus 3:12a says, “And God said, “I will be with you.”

In spite of fears and inadequacy; God is calling average people like Moses.  He may also be calling you and I to use our professional experience and natural ability to relieve suffering for his people. In our own unique way, we can join the women we admire.

If God has placed on our hearts a concern for suffering people, He will continually woo us to join the battle of encouraging them. No matter what our age. He is equipping us with life experiences in the workplace. He’s placed people in our path to mentor and love. God’s word fills our hearts and strains daily to burst forth answering the call to help hurting people. 

The burning bush of revealed purpose may occur in the trepid steps of obedience. A passage or bible study continually getting us through each day may inspire others. The heart of our plans consistently aligning with God’s word is a true sign, He is calling us. There is no room for self-doubt, fear, or indecision. A deeper purpose and satisfaction await when, “it’s the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Prov. 19:20b).

The sound and smell of spring is so relaxing coming through the back door, as the hubby and I lounge on the couch for movie night. There’s not quite enough room for both of us lying side by side, so my bare foot falls frequently to the floor. It’s sticky and I think the culprit is lying beside me.

The urge to get up and clean at 9:30 pm in the middle of a movie is almost overwhelming. I thought I cleaned the floors well enough on Monday. Apparently not. Ignoring it, I move my foot back to the couch; it slides back down.

My slightly obsessive-compulsive side says, “Ewe. This is gross. I have to clean it. Right now.” My tired body that babysat, cleaned, exercised, and cooked throughout the day says, “No, it can wait until morning. After all, you’re off all day with a “nonessential” travel ban in place. Relax.”

“It’s not as though the movie is good anyway!”  My mind retorts stubbornly. The return to high school plot line is tiresome. A typical heroine tries resisting her high school sweetheart’s charms in the midst of his murder charges……really!? There is a reason that relationship tanked and she moved across the country.

So, the internal battle rages, do the habitual thing and remove the stickiness or put it off until morning.

It’s interesting how a physical situation often mimics the spiritual. Behavior change begins with small steps in the right direction and encouragement from tiny victories. Steps that propel hearts to make more thoughtful decisions in the day to day permit lasting change. Deflected compulsive urges slowly steer the heart away from clinging patterns of self-ruin.

For instance, determining priorities for spiritual growth can involve distance from relationships that tempt me to continue selfish endeavors. Replacing short sightedness with intentional action on behalf of others during casual moments of noticed need is empowering.

Perhaps I’m filling a void with material things, I’m bored, or succumbing to emotional eating. Stuff I mostly avoid, yet at times still do. Similar to the heroine of the movie plot, clearly understanding her return home is a bad idea, although still drawn inexplicably.

There is a tension in the indecision. Making difficult choices often infringes on instant gratification.

 The apostle Paul states this beautifully, “So, I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” (New International Version, 8:21-23)

The struggle is real for even the strongest Christian, like Paul. The stickiness of sin wants to cling to my mind and distort the changed heart that longs to be rescued from ‘the body of death’ (vs 24).  Because I battle the flesh every day.  The tenacious thoughts of self-reproach are slowly replaced with wonder and gratitude in the presence of Jesus’ sin offering.  A small victory over the mind renews strength and empowers the flesh.

Stepping forward with such grace spurs the next step in the right direction. A new habit begins, relax in Jesus and strive to please Him. I am reassured by meditating on the words of the apostle’s truth as I hear him declare further:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (NIV, Romans 8:1-2) So, I choose to live according to the Spirit and have my mind set on what the Spirit desires.

Aw, like a cool spring breeze my heart is set on the Sprit’s desires, the decision pleasing to Him is the one I choose.

A word study of the heart

Day 1

Welcome to a short word study while on the go! If you want to draw closer to God and don’t know where to start, a word study may be a good place. Understanding God’s word and the themes in the bible can be intimidating. This study might just spark your desire to go deeper in God’s word…..when you’re ready!

In this 5 day bible study we will take time to compare the heart of man to the heart of God. You can look up the verses and write out references to the heart or you can use the Biblegateway.com verses to read on the go. If you have OneNote you can copy and paste the verses that really touch your heart.

I like the work of writing out the scriptures on a note pad. It is helpful in meditating on God’s word. 

You do whatever works best for you!

Circling or highlighting the word heart (and what the verse says about the heart) as I write out each verse helps me emphasizes the main point. Also, compiling my favorite promise verses on an index card and posting them on the bathroom mirror helps to remind me of the heart of God and how he moves through His word!

Something else I find helpful is writing out beside the verse (or group of verses) who the writer is speaking to. This task keeps in place the appropriate context of scripture.

So, the object today is to have a clear view of my heart compared to the Father’s heart because therein lies the beginning of understanding. In the background of my mind is the knowledge that in spite of my tendency for straying, the heart of God is steadfast. I recall the childhood memory verse pointing me in the right direction:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

I pray you are reminded through God’s word today and encouraged to know —it’s ok to not be perfect, you are still loved! He is working in you and through you and me to accomplish His purpose. All we have to do is cooperate, open our minds, and pray for understanding and the heart change we so desperately need.

How can a heart be deceitful or wicked according to the following verses?

Genesis 6:5

Genesis 8:2

Jeremiah 17:9

Mathew 12:34

Mathew 15:8-9

Mathew 15:18-20

Deuteronomy 9:4

Psalm 7:9

Psalm 10:13

Psalm 28:3

Psalm 36:1

Proverbs 21:4

Isaiah 47:10

Jesus’ words in scripture tell us to ‘take heart’ he has over come the world. And not to let our hearts be troubled. He says, “You believe in God; believe also in me.” (Mathew 14:1) The condition of our hearts are changed when we encounter the all-consuming love of Jesus. I’m so grateful to him for that today. The disruption of wickedness is not immediately resolved when we place our trust in Him, but our desire to be more like Him is present. He slowly transforms the thoughts and desires of the selfish heart into one that puts others first.

Lord of heaven, you are merciful and mighty. Thank you for the hope expressed so eloquently in Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

Isaiah 6:5

When the eyes of Isaiah fall upon the seraphim praising and worshiping the Lord, he is stricken with grief at his own corruption. Images of the people in his life and his interaction with them dart through his memory. Immediately he feels remorse.

The acute presence of a Holy God brings us to our knees. Every time.

When the scales fall off my eyes and I see clearly my sin before Him, I then understand and grieve words from my own lips. The sharp tone, criticism, nor the callous remarks spilling from my mouth are the hope our Lord wishes us to impart to others. Quite the contrary, it’s a sure sign of lingering bitterness. The stricken conscience resulting from the barrage of words, acknowledges the grievance before our Savior. Therefore, opening the door for repentance.

How important are words among people anyway?

Several years ago, I reprimanded my daughter for her language. Her friend promptly responded, “Why? They’re just words.” Taken aback by her response, I shut down. A less wise woman at the time, I withdrew to contemplate the carelessness of words, the deepness of words, and how often we assume our words have no impact.

Are they just words? It’s obviously not “cool” to think too highly of them. I often regret passing up the opportunity to teach that young lady. I just didn’t want to hurt her feelings or know how to guide her thinking at the time. Maybe her own scarring from past hurtful words led her to convince herself “words don’t matter”.

 What I would love to tell her now is that words have the power of life and death. I’d ask, “How many relationships have been torn apart because of words? How many children live in fear and anxiety because of the unleashed fury of words?” Most likely, the same number of children who learn compassion, love, kindness, and patience by the use of gentle words.

The beauty of Isaiah’s unclean lips is submitting them to God. He is forgiven and has the opportunity to make amends! Because the moment Isaiah realizes his shame and guilt before our Holy God, he has a heart change. Oh, how I’d love this to happen for this girl! Maybe it will! God is open to intercession and while we’re both alive, it’s never too late.

Isaiah’s desire is to ask God for restoration. He says in Isaiah 6:5 “And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” (New International Version Isaiah 6:5-6).

The burning coal for you and me is the Holy Spirit living in us. He is guiding us through the difficult areas of restoration. Even though our heart reconstruction has taken place, maybe our old habits are hard to break. Here are three ways we can ACT to clean up our lips:

1. Acknowledge the careless or hurtful words and the emotion behind them.
2. Confess: Lord, I see my words have power of life and death, please forgive me for my words of anger, frustration, gossip, and slander that hurt others. Please fill me with words of life that encourage and love others.
3. Tell the person at the other end of those words, ” I am sorry“.

Memory verse for my thoughts and words:

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” ( New International Version, 2 Corinthians 10:5).

I pray you and I have the wisdom to compare our lives to the life of Jesus and no other starting today. The first step to restoring unclean lips is acknowledging the root cause and seeking God’s healing power of forgiveness. True repentance is signified in the grief over our sin, and it is a clear sign of a transformed heart. We want to please our Father. May we remember and pray this for lost opportunities as well as future occasions sure to arise.

“Because I, Yahweh, have not changed, You descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.”

“Malachi 3:6”

Week 3 Day 4

The beautiful mercy of God is unwavering. May we take comfort today in that simple fact. Even though the descendants of Jacob falter, Yahweh’s love does not diminish. The same love He graciously offers to Israel, is bestowed upon those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. A wonderful promise we can rejoice in as we wrap up our study today!

While we, like Israel, will stumble and waver in our walk with Him, He shows us a better way. A way of forgiveness and thankfulness. He puts in our hearts a desire to please Him. We are products of change. Not perfect, by any means, but hungrily seeking Him. The discipline of God in past choices and resulting consequences prove to us, He is the better way.

Congratulations! If we’re feeling the refiner’s fire, we’ll see ourselves as He sees us, before we leave this place.

It’s going to take some heavy reading today to see it though. Hopefully we’re up for the challenge!

Please Read Malachi Chapter 3 and answer the following questions:

1. There are two messengers in chapter three verse one. Look up the following verses to see who Malachi is referring to in the first sentence:

Isaiah 40:3

Mathew 11:9-11

Mark 1:2-3

The person explaining who John is according to our cross reference is Jesus. The second messenger in verse 1.

What do we learn by looking at what Jesus says in Luke 7:18-29? Restate it in your own words below:

• Malachi asks, who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For He will be like a ________________   ____________ or a ______________ soap.
• Who is he going to purify like silver and gold? (vs 3)
• Please read Mathew (the reformed tax collector) chapter 23 to appreciate a small taste of what this refining fire looks like for the Levites. Note how many times he uses the word hypocrites.

Boy, did Malachi’s prophesy come true! The Lord came in the form of Jesus to reign and usher in a new covenant. He not only refines the priests, He raise up a spiritual army of “men to bring offerings in righteousness acceptable to the Lord.’ The twelve disciples, Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, Paul, Phillip, and many of the priests, became followers of the Way. All because, “I the Lord do not change.” (Malachi 3:6)

• Although, it wonderful to look ahead at the power of God’s refining. What is another area of trust the Israelites are having difficulty adhering to? (vs 8-10)

Tithing is the ONLY area in scripture where we are encouraged to TEST God. He says, “Test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour our so much blessing you will not have room enough for it.” (vs10). Praise God, He is faithful to meet our needs above and beyond what we need. What encouragement to stay the course, in spite of our circumstances!

Furthermore, Malachi inspires the few unwavering Israelites who pass the tithing test. He has a special message for believers who persist and revere the Lord.  

• In your own words, please write Malachi 3:16 below:
• Would you say it is important for us, our children, and those seeking the Lord to understand why we are to fear’ the Lord?
• What does Proverbs 1:7 clarify about fear of the Lord?
• What is God’s promise for those who honor His name? (vs 17)
• The thing we will see, that never ceases to be in our life on this earth is the distinction between the ___________   and the _____________ , between those who serve God and those who do not. (vs 18)

The hope of Jesus, alive and active in our hearts takes this distinction and spurns the desire to transform wickedness to righteousness. A close encounter with our own degradation and change of heart gives us the empathy to help and understand others. We were there, too once! Trained by the penalty of our sin, we’ve felt the death of innocence. Longing for peace and fulfillment, we listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit calling our name.

Praise God! He continues to work in us and through us to bring the hope and light of salvation to others. Even in our imperfect state, we know, our wickedness is covered by His righteousness.

Romans 8:10 says it better, “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is life, because of righteousness.”

What joy! The Lord, Yahweh, has not changed!

May God Bless you and fill you with His Spirit today as you share His love! It is a pleasure to look closely at this overview of God’s unwavering love with you. I pray we all understand he is forgiving and merciful as our hearts are encouraged to trust in his faithfulness. God Bless you!

“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave these to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.”

Malachi 2:5

Week 3

Day 3

There have been some humiliating moments in my life. Several, I’d like to forget. After all, it’s an abasement of pride. Reducing of the ego to humble submission and lowliness. Remember Haman, hanging his head in shame after parading Mordecai through the streets on the king’s horse? (Esther Ch. 6)

Yep, humiliation occurs when we’re brought down from thinking too highly of ourselves. The question to examine personally and in the Levitical priesthood today, is how people get to such a place of superiority.

I’m suspecting it’s a heart issue.

Please read Malachi Chapter 2 and answer the following questions:

1. Yesterday, we looked at the defective sacrifices the priests were offering to Yahweh, what is the decree for such behavior according to our messenger, Malachi? (2:1-2)
2. What humiliating act will be taken to rebuke the priests? (vs 3)

Leviticus 11:39-45

Ouch. We cannot tolerate that stuff on the bottom of our shoe, let alone on our faces! To fully understand just how degrading this act is for the priests, let’s take a look at the following scriptures to understand their daily practice of cleanliness:

Exodus 29:44-46

If the priests take the Nazarite vow:

Numbers 6:5-7

The book of Exodus sets up the foundation for the Levitical priesthood, with Moses and Aaron as leaders. The descendants of Aaron will serve the Lord at the altar, care for the tabernacle and all it’s furnishings, and teach the people the law. (Numbers 1:50)

• What is God’s reminder to the priests of Malachi’s day? (vs 5)
• Did the Levite priests of Moses’ day follow through? (vs. 6-7)
• List below, in your own words, what takes place for the priests and why: (vs 8-9)

Reverence for the Lord is something He takes very seriously and personally. We as parents, can understand His admonishment because every single parent is disregarded, in some way, from their own child. The thoughts traveling through our minds must be similar to God’s, “How could you treat me this way?” “After all the love, the care, the provision……I have given you my whole life and you act like you don’t care.”

Yes, we can see and feel the pain of our Holy Father here. Not only does the way the priests treat him grieve Him, the way they treat each other, also mourns the heart of God. We’ll see this as we look closer at Malachi 2:10-17

• The phrase used repeatedly in these verses in my HCSB is “acted treacherously” the NIV uses (being unfaithful) the ESV uses (faithless) think about the phrase or words used and list below how the Israelites were treacherous/unfaithful:
• Malachi 2:10-11
• Malachi 2:13-14
• Malachi 2:15-16

The prophet says, “You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him? When you say, “Everyone who does what is evil is good in the Lord’s sight, and He is pleased with them”, or “Where is the God of justice” (Malachi 2:17)

The heart of God is wounded when people fail to see their actions disrespect Him as Holy and Worthy of praise. Pride in their position, stood in the way of its purpose. The priest’s opportunity to display reverence to God and His covenant of marriage is overlooked for personal satisfaction. The resulting injustice damages the morality of the people around them.

May we look at our own lives today and ask God, “Am I revering you, Lord?” “Am I living the Christian example set in Galatians 5:22?

God of Heaven,

Please, help me see the areas of pride in my life that hinder my service to you and others. May the utter humiliation lying in my heart, be brought before the heavenlies for inspection. I ask your forgiveness for any actions in my life causing you grief. May today be a new day to honor and serve you, as you fully deserve. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Week 3

Day 2   

Malachi Chapter 1

“For My name will be great among the nations, from the rising of the sun to its setting. Incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name in every place because My name will be great among the nations.” Says Yahweh of Hosts.”

Malachi 1:11

In spite of a people’s tendency to subdue whole hearted worship to Him, God’s established throne remains. It’s easy to sacrifice for our small children, they are tender and close to our hearts. Just as reading through a devotion is preferable to really engaging the mind in a study.

“No one has time for that” is the frequent response. It is a true sacrifice of time to cross reference scripture as we see and understand God’s heart. The tendency to scroll social media and play mindless games gives people much needed rest from the busyness of life.

However, the longing for something deeper and more satisfying will remain. True rest, in this case, is elusive.

There will be pure and acceptable offerings at some point, because He remains high and lifted up, above the nations. As the verse above reminds us, our powerful and Holy God is worthy of our whole hearted praise.

A heart change is what He is after, in us and throughout the lives of the people we study. We are commanded by our creator, to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This desire of God will be illuminated as we study Malachi.

Since we have an overview reading of Malachi under our thinking caps from yesterday, let’s get started!

 The Hebrew word for hate (sane) described in my study bible reports that “choosing Jacob over Esau occurred in a national sense not an individual sense. Comparing the situation to Jesus’ words “that those who love father or mother more than Him are not worthy of Him (Mt 10:37). The idea is priority rather than the despising of one person, or in this case, nation.” (HCSB, 2018, p. 1499)

Please Read Malachi Chapter 1

1. It may be easier, in our finite minds, to pass judgment or question why God would make such statements through his prophet in Malachi 1:1-5. List below questions you might want to ask God when we see him some day: (They are your thoughts, no wrong answers, it’s just to get our minds thinking).
2. We picture a loving Father, with two children (here Nations) and one being favored over the other. There are three facts about God we can keep in mind to help us grapple with the things in scripture we don’t understand:
3. His thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8)
4. We are limited by time, He is not. He is the alpha and omega (the beginning and the end) He Sees all things (past, future, present) Knows all things (character, values, actions, faith, belief) of individuals and nations (before they are born).
5. What we see and read 4000 years ago in our ancient text, He saw 6000 years before that and beyond into infinity. He makes all decisions based on what He knows, not what we “think” we know. Basically, He is God, we are not.

• God says a son _______________ his father, and a servant his master. What does he ask of His son Israel? (vs 6)
• How has the leadership (priesthood) of the country of Israel dishonored God? (vs 7-8, 12,14)
• What do they still expect from God in spite of their half-hearted sacrifice? (vs 9)
• Are we any different in our own experiences of worship and sacrifice at times?

Please Look up the following scriptures to clarify the quality of sacrifice to be brought before the Lord:

Leviticus 22; 22, 24

Deuteronomy 15:21

The behavior of the priests in Malachi, show us corruption in the priesthood. Shirking duties of moral living, teaching the word of God to the people, and showing lack of reverence for God in the offering. We see the same behavior in our culture today. From sexual scandal, money laundering to outright theft in the offering plate among leaders today.

Moreover, compromise in leadership corrupts people. They no longer trust ‘holy’ men, men of God (or women of God), therefore they refuse to trust God. If that is what following Christ is about, they want no part of it. They can say that prayer and move on, enjoying life without religious rules or interaction with ‘fake’ people. It’s preferable to pursue mindless games, and social media for activities of rest. Unaware, the simmering discontent in their aching hearts is a yearning for God.

Yes, half-hearted sacrifice has far reaching repercussions.

 My prayer today, as we finish today’s lesson, is for me to look at my life and see where I am lackluster in my devotion to the Lord. Am I fully serving the people within my own influence? Am I fully committed to prayer for the lost and hurting in my community? Am I reaching out and encouraging someone today?

God in heaven, may our offerings be pure, as we set our hearts on you. You are high and lifted up and worthy of all sacrifice and praise. I pray our eyes are open to apathy and you forgive us today. Strengthen our hearts Lord to whole-heartedly serve you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.