MINOR PROPHET: MAJOR LESSON III

I so miss being here! I'm afraid that until I find my groove with my new job, my postings are going to be few and far between....yuck! I have a 40 minute commute everyday, the early mornings are my coffee time with Jesus and by the time I get home and take care of my family and prepare for my next day, the day is gone...no computer time! Pray I learn the ropes and find my groove...soon!

In the midst of this transiton time the Lord has been reminding me about ATTITUDE! I've been studying the book of Malachi (another minor prophet with a major lesson) and the Lord God had a few choice words for His priests and His people about their lackluster devotion to Him and the slipshod way they worshiped. Words like, despised, contemptible, useless, just to name a few. They began to question God's love for them and thus began the descent into the pit mediocrity, complacency, and flat-out disobedience. People were offering and priest were accepting defiled sacrifices. The people served in a perfunctory and mechanical manner, going through the motions with no heart or conviction about what they were doing. They came to believe that offering stolen or lame or sick animals as sacrifices to God was not a problem as far as worship was concerned. They had the nerve to believe God would accept these offerings and be pleased with them. Worship was a mere drudgery, a meaningless activity they did out of habit. Their attitude toward God was reflected in their actions....are we getting a clue? I know I am! The Lord has reminded me that my actions are always connected to my attitude...my actions are always set in motion by my attitude! My actions reveal what I believe about God. Some of the harshest words the Lord God utters in this book are found in Chapter 1 verse 10...."I wish one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle a useless fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you, says the LORD of Hosts, and I will accept no offering from your hands." Can you imagine that kind of rebuke on our worship today? What would we think if God said, "I would rather you nail the doors shut than have you worship me halfheartedly as you do." I get goosebumps just thinking about it!

So, I have had an attitude adjustment. Just because I am experiencing some difficulties in this time of transition does not mean He still does not deserve my very best...He is God...the LORD of Hosts.....King of Kings.... the great I AM. He wants my wholehearted devotion and nothing else will do!