Morning Devotion: He Wants You To Know This!-By Pastor Shadrack Ruto
It appears that the people of Judah were not only living a rebellious life against God; but they also had complaints and misguided views about God. In the preceding verse of this chapter, Malachi the prophet assures his audience that God will punish the evildoer even though He seems to you now to be delaying justice. Then in verse 6, God makes this surprising proclamation to the people of Judah.
I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Malachi 3:6
This follows immediately after Malachi answers their misguided view of God that He delights in seeing evil and even with those who commit these evils. It also comes before The Lord’s disappointment about these exile survivors. For they had not only failed to give God the proper animals for sacrifice, they were also taking away that which belonged to God.
So then, why did the Lord make this surprising statement? Let us read it again.
I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Malachi 3:6
He said, “I do not change so that you descendants of Jacob are not destroyed”. Why does He say this? After reading the book of Nehemiah and now the book of Malachi, it is evident that the Israelites lived a very rebellious life against God before and after the exile period. One would rightly wonder why God didn’t destroy them? They were not destroyed because of at least two reasons.
First: do you remember what Moses told God when He was ready to destroy all the Israelites in the wilderness? This is what he said to God.
Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” Numbers 14:17-19
The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. We see how God demonstrated this over and over again with the nation of Israel. The book of Judges is a good illustration of this where we see the circle of evil repeated over and over again. The circle repeated is this: They sinned against God and God handed them over to their enemies. Then they repented and cried out to the Lord and the Lord forgave them and rescued them by raising or sending a deliverer among them. But then they would rebel again against God and the same circle would be repeated again.
Secondly: they were not destroyed because of God’s faithfulness to His promises to the patriarchs; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Genesis 12:2-4
Referring to the faithfulness of God to His promises, King Solomon makes this confession to God.
You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today. 2 Chronicles 6:15
But here is the most beautiful passage that makes this point as clear as it can be. Read it carefully!
But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the Lord their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the Lord.’” Leviticus 26:40-45
It is wonderful to know that God does not change so that we are not destroyed. It is the reason why; He wants you to know this.
APPLICATION:
1. Just in case you find yourself in a never ending downward spiritual spiral and you begin to doubt whether God will accept you back to himself, I need to remind you that He never changes. He is still a loving God whose mercies endure forever.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.Lamentations 3:22-23
2. If you find yourself in a very difficult situation and start wondering whether God is anywhere close to see you or hear you, you need to remember this promise He made.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b
3. In addition, if you have been praying to God for sometime and He has not yet answered you, just remember He still loves and cares about you. If he says wait, then he knows why it is not good for you now. But if He says no, He knows why it is not good for you. Always remember this verse.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.Psalm 84:11
4. Evil seems to be gaining ground around the world and bad people who delight in causing havoc and even taking lives of many seem to be increasing daily. This makes us wonder where God is? Some even go as far as asking, is God not able to deal with evil in the world? We should all be reminded that God never changes. He is still the same God who sent the flood in the days of Noah and fire to Sodom and Gomorrah. He is a just and righteous God who will administer Justice and do what is right.
5. Can you list verses that clearly state God’s immutability?
Jesus Christ is the same
Yesterday and today
And forever.
Hebrews 13:8
And
HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW THIS!
By Pastor Shadrack Ruto
Morning Devotion: He Wants You To Know This!-By Pastor Shadrack Ruto
