|
Malachi 3:13-17a – “Your words have been hard against Me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping His charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’” Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed His Name. “They shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up My treasured possession.”
Can you hear the pain in God’s voice? “Your words have been hard against Me,” He says. Frankly, most of the people I know never imagine that God would notice what they say about Him, never mind caring. They think they’re too little for God to care about.
But that’s not true. He cares. He created us to love us, and even though humanity has rebelled against Him, He still loves us. We matter to Him.
But it doesn’t always work the other way around, does it? Listen to what the so-called people of God say back to Him: “It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping His charge?” They consider their relationship with God to be a business transaction. If they don’t get some visible advantage out of it, it’s a waste of time. Ouch!
But not everybody thinks this way. Malachi says, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another … those who … esteemed His Name.” Who are these people? The ones who have learned to love Him, who are glad He is their God and their Savior. And God is happy, and He writes down their names in a book of remembrance. “They shall be Mine,” He says.
This is a different way of relating to God, and it’s open to all of us—a relationship based on love, forgiveness, and protection. God came into the world as our Savior Jesus in order to make this possible for us—yes, even you, even me, small and broken as we are. We matter to Him. And so He lay down His life on the cross to rescue us from the power of death and evil—to bring us back to Him as His dearly loved children. And He rose from the dead so that we could have life forever, trusting in Him.
Now Jesus calls us to Him. He says, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out” (John 6:37). God says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1b). Our sin and brokenness will not stop God from rejoicing in us as His own. He says, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).
WE PRAY: Dear Lord, I love You. Help me to truly grasp and trust how You love me. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
- Do you ever feel too small for God to notice?
- What about His love for you—is it easy to believe or hard? Why?
- Consider Jesus’ words and actions. What do they tell you about God’s feelings for you?
| 
