Today’s Reading: Malachi 1
With the advent season upon us, we are actively looking forward to the most precious and amazing gift we have ever been given, Jesus. This season of anticipation is filled with so much joy and happiness and excitement. One of our traditions for my family is the elf on the shelf. Our elf is named Simon. He has been visiting our house for over 11 years. He comes on the 1st day of December and leaves on the 24th of December. The kids all wake up daily with the joy and excitement of finding Simon and to see what activities he has been doing throughout the evening and his trip to the North Pole. This is a great example of how we should start our day: waking up with excitement and seeing what Jesus has done for us overnight and the excitement of what the day will bring.
As the season of Advent turns into Christmas, with the celebration of the birth of Christ. A lot of us are searching for the best gifts to exchange with each other and the anticipated joy that it may bring. For the kids, it is a time of excitement. For the young it is a time of celebration. For moms and dads it is a time of reflection and memories.
In the Bible, Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament, before the birth of Christ. It is approximately 400 years between the last words of Malachi and the proclamation from the angels of Christ birth. In the first chapter of Malachi, God is directly telling Israel how He has shown love to us and how we have not acknowledged the love or recognize this love and he is disappointed.
Malachi 1: 1-3;5
God said, “I love you.”
You replied, “Really? How have you loved us?”
“Look at history” (this is God’s answer). “Look at how differently I’ve treated you, Jacob, from Esau: I loved Jacob and hated Esau. I reduced pretentious Esau to a molehill, turned his whole country into a ghost town.”
5 “Yes, take a good look. Then you’ll see how faithfully I’ve loved you and you’ll want even more, saying, ‘May God be even greater, beyond the borders of Israel!’
He has continuously been gracious to Israel and in return for his goodness he was met with deceit and complete disregard for his love. Like Israel, have we given him our worst, when he constantly gives us his best?
Malachi 1:11- 13 MSG
“I am honored all over the world. And there are people who know how to worship me all over the world, who honor me by bringing their best to me. They’re saying it everywhere: ‘God is greater, this God-of-the-Angel-Armies.’
12-13 “All except you. Instead of honoring me, you profane me. You profane me when you say, ‘Worship is not important, and what we bring to worship is of no account,’ and when you say, ‘I’m bored—this doesn’t do anything for me.’ You act so superior, sticking your noses in the air—act superior to me, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! And when you do offer something to me, it’s a hand-me-down, or broken, or useless. Do you think I’m going to accept it? This is God speaking to you!
I’m guilty of this as well. How many times have I not given my full potential or talent to what God has in store for me? Many times. How many times have I not given fully to those in need? Many times. How many times have I not shown mercy to others? Many times. I acknowledge that throughout my life I have been here. But with my acknowledgement of his presence in my life and my current relationship, I attempt to give him my all: all of my life, all of my family, all of my finances, all of my health; in return for his peace and blessings on me. I may falter, but I constantly get back up and continue to push forward.
How can I (we) do better at giving our Father the best gifts:
- Be intentional about the gifts that we give.
- Acknowledge that we will fail often, but we will have to continue to work at giving the right gifts
- He only wants us to be thoughtful and respectful of him and his presence
What gifts are we preparing to give God during this Advent, Christmas, and Incarnation Season? Are we willing to give him the best and first fruits of our everything? Will we be able to transition to a place of reverence and reflection?
May we be able to grow and shine with this renewed commitment.
Be blessed