Malachi 3

Just by reading verse 1, I know this chapter is going to be a good one! "'See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,' says the LORD Almighty (Mal. 3:1). It's another Jesus verse.

The next few verses shed light on the day of judgment. Despite His people's negligence (and worse) of Him, God offers them comfort and protection. But God wants the best out of His people. "[W]ho can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap...Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years" (Mal. 3:2, 3b-4). Because of God's holy nature, He cannot associate with sin. But because of His loving nature, He cannot tolerate being separated, with no hope of reconciliation, from His children. Therefore, He has created the way for us to become holy--His own Son. In verse 5, He provides comfort by saying He will take of the injustices of this world. "'So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice...'" (Mal. 3:5a). However, is any one of us free of sin? Of course not! I think this is why the verse ends this way: "'but do not fear me,' says the LORD Almighty." God will provide vengeance upon those who have tormented their fellow man with wrongdoing, those with hard hearts who do not feel remorse for their actions. As we read in chapter 2, the people of Israel and Judah had been complaining about the prosperity of evildoers, saying that God must be blessing them. They had even gone so far as to say, "'It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements...'" (Mal. 3:14a). Reckless words, aren't they? God's response is found in verses 17 and 18: "'(Those who feared the LORD and honored his name) will be mine,' says the LORD Almighty, 'in the day when I make up my treasured possession...And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not'" (Mal. 3:17a, 18).

One of the most reassuring verses in Scripture, in my opinion, is found in verse 6. "'I the LORD do not change'" (Mal. 3:6a). In this chaotic, fast-paced, unpredictable world, there is not much that we can fully trust. And really, there's nothing that is guaranteed. The only person or thing that can never change is God. His nature is constant. I find protection in that. God, the God of second chances, also says, "'Return to me, and I will return to you,'" (Mal. 3:7b).

Despite His expressions of love for His people, or perhaps rather because of it, God points out to His people that their devotion is not as it should be. He tells them that their tithes and offerings are well below par. I have studied about this issue of giving. We must understand that God does not need our money. He can provide ways to do His work without it. Our giving is a lesson in faith. It is for our benefit. We are so bound to our money, that it can easily become what we think is our protection and safety. How deceived we are to believe it. Furthermore, God wants the gift of our time and our attention. Whatever we cling to, when we should be clinging to Him, is a danger to our walk with God. And when we surrend these earthly treasures, God will bless us. It may not be in just the way we'd like or think it will be, but He will bless us. It may not be in the same form that you gave; it may be a revelation of His joy in your life. "'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. 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 you will not have room enough for it'" (Mal. 3:10). There have been times when I have felt so much joy because of my assurance of God's love for me that I have felt like I would burst.

Remember that the tithe, as God ordained, was the first produce of a crop. It was giving to God, not knowing what would come later. And that is a huge act of faith. God wants your best. A friend of mine told me about a billboard near her house. It says, "Give God what is right, not what is left over." And really, isn't everything we have a gift from God anyway?

I pray that your belief in a God who will give you His best is strengthened today.