Friday 7 Mar 2014

Friday Reading: Malachi 1:9-11

Key Verse: Malachi 1:10
“Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,” says the Lord of hosts, “Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.

Devotion:
What sacrifice do you offer to God today? I am not talking about going out to buy a lamb and killing it in the appropriate way but rather the sacrifice that you offer today to your God, a personal sacrifice you are willing to make to show your God that your revere Him! We like to think that we would be willing to do anything for God, but when we get squeezed between a rock and a hard place, we call out to Him for help rather than step forward willingly giving what is being asked of us!

In the days when people would come to the temple, there would be 6 people in charge of shutting off each of the four gates. They had to keep to the laws about how sacrifices should be done appropriately, but they would also have to make personal choices when the time came to sacrifice for themselves. The people who would tend to the fire on the altar would have to make personal choices as to whether they would do what they had to or do it because they wanted to. You see, we have a choice as to whether we do what we do because it is our assigned job, or do what we do because we want to do it for the glory of God!

I see far too many people going to church because it is what happens on Sundays. I see far too many people going through the motions of attending church, picking up people to take them to church, even preaching, just because it is their job to do so! I go to church to serve my God. I go to encourage others to do the same. I encourage others to come along and do so in the name of our Lord and Saviour, not because of duty!

If we do things out of duty then are we doing so in vain? If we do things just because it is the law to do so, then are we doing so for the right reason? This is the time of the year where we should be remembering what we do for God and not just doing things because it is written down that we should. This is the time of year when we should be refocusing on the real reasons for worshipping our God!

Points to Ponder:
Do you always go to church?

Is it because you have to or want to?