EXPAND TO READ: MALACHI 4 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verse 6): I must confess, Father, I have not been the greatest father to my children. In this verse, You tell us that fathers should turn their hearts towards their children. I have gotten better as of late, but my hope and prayer is that it’s not too late. I pray that the mistakes of my past as a father do not outweigh the changes I’ve made lately, especially for my oldest children. My oldest will be moving out in a few years, most likely, and I’ve only been working towards being a truly Godly man in this life for about a year. My prayer is that You forgive me for my faults as a father, but also that my children can forgive me for the mistakes I’ve made as a father. Help me to build a stronger relationship with them than I could ever imagine, so that as my heart turns towards them that theirs will also turn towards me, Father.
PROMISE (verse 5): This verse is almost like a double promise. Not only do You promise to send us Elijah in the interim to continue to teach us Your ways and provide guidance and conviction, but You also promise us that Elijah is only a steppingstone to the coming of our Lord and Savior. Although You do not mention Him by name, You do call it the “Day of the Lord” which I know is the day of Jesus. Thank You for providing the steppingstone for mankind to get to Jesus, but also for the promise of Jesus Himself, Father.
ATTITUDE (verse 4): This verse may not seem like a direct attitude adjustment type of verse at first, but the more I read through these verses, the more I felt convicted by this particular verse, especially the beginning of it. You tell us to remember the instruction of Moses, Your servant. My attitude adjustment today is for obedience and understanding. Help me to embrace and walk in an attitude of obedience and understanding of Your instruction, Father, just as You have said here. Help me to truly understand the instructions You are giving, but to also take action on those instructions so that when I walk in this life I am staying obedient to those instructions no matter the situations I’m put in.
COMMAND (verse 2a, 4a): I find two commands in this rather short chapter, but I guess they go together because You can’t truly do one without the other. The first command is to fear Your name and the second is to remember the instructions of Moses. The first isn’t a fear like me with spiders, rather a healthy fear which requires respect. The reason why the second is required in the first and vice-versa is because how can I live in fear/respect of You if I do not know anything about You? That is why I must get better at knowing Your instructions, even the Old Testament. Although the Old Testament was signed, sealed, and delivered by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross into a New Covenant/Testament, it doesn’t make those previous words any less important as they are still words inspired by and from You. Help me to be better at learning the Old Testament more consistently, Father, as You have commanded here, so that I can truly embrace ALL that You are and all that You have ever said for the purpose of having the highest level of fear/respect for You possible in this life.
EXAMPLE (verse 1-3): I find the example You give here an interesting one. You start off with something that is, to be honest, pretty frightening. You say that a day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all arrogant and wicked people will become stubble and that the coming day will consume them. WOW! Talk about a harsh opening statement for these last few verses of Malachi. Then You bring a peace over the reader by saying, but for those who fear Your name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings and we will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall! We will be victorious over the arrogant and wicked! How amazing is that?! On a day that will have complete chaos towards those who refuse You, we will also have joyful redemption for those who adore You. Thank You, Father, for the balance You bring. Although this example is to the extreme since it’s talking about Your return, it still reflects the complete and total balance You bring to my life.
*DAILY NOTE: Such a short chapter in Malachi to end with. Not gonna lie, when I started reading Malachi 3 I truly expected to also read Malachi 4 in the same quiet time because of how short it was, but I felt You pushing me to hold off on Malachi 4. I’m so glad I am finally hearing and listening to You, Father, because Malachi 4 has so much in such a small chapter. I just find it so amazing how You can fit so much in so few words. Thank You for the book of Malachi, Father, and for the great quiet times we’ve had in the last few days in this book. I do not know where You are leading me next for my next quiet time, yet, but I’m sure You will reveal it to me in Your timing just as You did with Malachi and all the other quiet times I’ve done. Thank You, Father.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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