DEVOTION: Does God Get What He Deserves From You?
What is your response to this question from God?
“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. Malachi 1:6
Just in case you are wondering why God is a father to the nation of Israel, read the following words from the prophet Hosea.
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. Hosea 11:1
And of course, He is Lord over Israel. Read this proclamation from Moses to his People Israel.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Deuteronomy 6:4
Apparently, the nation of Israel had failed to give God due respect. Leading the way in this rebellion were the priests.
It is you priests who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ “By offering defiled food on my altar. But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you? Malachi 1:6b-7
But they seem to be bewildered by this accusation. But God gave an elaborated evidence of how they disrespected Him.
By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Malachi 1:7b-8
Then He asked them this pointed and convicting question.
Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 1:8b
In spite of this attitude towards God, they continued presenting their prayers to God. This led to this question from God:
“Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—Says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 1:9
To say that God was furious about this is evidenced in the following statements:
Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. Malachi 1:10
I am sure you can see that God was not being respected by his people and He was not very pleased about this. Hence, He would not answer their prayers.
APPLICATION:
1. What kind of relationship do you have with your God? How do you address Him?
2. Our God is: Our Redeemer; Our Creator; Our Master: Out Guide, just to name a few.
a. Write down how you should relate to Him according to each one of these titles.
b. Have you given Him the respect He deserves in each of them?
3. In this passage we see the offering that was defiled being offered to God. In what ways do we offer to God that which is defiled? In other words, what kind of offering is defiled and should not be offered to God?
4. Have you ever offered that which is considered defiled before the Lord?
5. Here are a few ways we can disrespect Our God
a. Giving Him leftovers. That your offering to God depends on what is left in your pockets after your purchases.
b. You come to church late every Sunday, or on any worship times.
c. You live in sin and you continue to serve the Lord in Church.
d. You use His house to do other things that does not bring glory to Him.
6. In what other ways are we disrespecting God as Christians today?
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.
This is why I am putting
This question
To you
DOES GOD GET WHAT HE DESERVES FROM YOU?
By Pastor Shadrack Ruto
http://www.upendochurch.org/
DEVOTION: Does God Get What He Deserves From You?
