Published: May 09, 2008 01:57 am            

Strive to give God our very best

PALESTINE — I believe it would be safe to say most of us have felt a sense of abandonment at times, whether we got left alone at a department store when we were or we somehow feel abandoned by God.

When the Israelites returned from exile they began building the Temple under Zerubbabel, but after a few years they gave up and God chided them for their laziness. Finally, they finished the Temple and priests began ministering before the altar of the Lord. They were dejected, though; because God's glory never filled the Temple and they felt abandoned.

Their feelings of abandonment, while they may have seemed real, were brought on by their own actions. If their relationship with God seemed inadequate, it was because their worship of him was inadequate.

In the book of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, written around 433 B.C. a little less than 100 years after work on the second Temple was completed the people were complaining because they felt abandoned by God.

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?' says the Lord Almighty. 'It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. But you ask, How have we shown contempt for your name? You place defiled food on my altar. But you ask, How have we defiled you? By saying that the Lord's table is contemptible. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong. When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you? Says the Lord Almighty.” - Malachi 1:6-8

I remember many times when I would trudge to church on a Sunday morning with the only thought being what I would eat when I got out and how soon the services would be over. I hope I'm not alone with these feelings.

We really didn't want to be there. When we left we felt we went out into a world God had abandoned long ago. We weren't getting anything out of going to church; we were just “going through the motions,” as they say.

Well, God doesn't want us going through the motions. He wants our full attention. He wants our best. We owe him our best because he died in order for us to be reconciled to him.

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” - 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

Most of us are convicted of these verses when we don't tithe like we should, but they do apply to more things than just the giving of money.

God wants our time, he wants our talents and like I said earlier, he wants all the best we have to offer - we owe it to him. When we get that mindset right, when we are able to devote ourselves to God unselfishly, then he will begin to use us in his will.

Exciting isn't it? It should be, because it is exciting to be used by God to help bring the gospel of Christ to the world.

But, if we are not willing to offer God our very best, then we are not to be happy, we will feel abandoned by Him, but it will be because of our own selfishness.

Even though we may stray from God and not offer ourselves to him as we should, He will receive us and fill our hearts if only we will call upon him. God hasn't abandoned us, he's just waiting for us to ask him for his help.

“I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,' says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, 'How are we to return? Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, How do we rob you? In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit, says the Lord Almighty. Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord Almighty.” - Malachi 3:6-12

We must give in order to receive. I am not meaning this as a message to make people give money to their local church. While I am all for giving God what's due him, I do not stand for the “name it and claim it crowd” who will tell you, you will be blessed according to how much money you send. These are charlatans who are devouring the spiritually immature.

Like I said, though, giving means more than just money. If you are able to give God freely from your finances, then give with a generous heart - Paul said that is between us and God, but in order for us to share in the pleasure of working for Christ, we must be willing to give ourselves to Christ.

“Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who reared the Lord and honored his name. They will be mine, says the Lord Almighty, in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.” - Malachi 3:16-18

What a wonderful God we serve. There are a lot of things we want in this world. We may want a new flat screen TV, a million dollars and an unlimited supply of ice cream, but just because we want them doesn't mean we'll get them.

But, if we desire to have Jesus Christ at the forefront in our lives, then he will come to us and satisfy our every need, because we need nothing but Christ.

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If you need prayer, or would like to comment, Wayne can be reached by e-mail at etagnews @dctexas.net.

        

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