Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living from The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City Missouri United States for Friday, 2 February 2018 - "Intimate Relationship Brings Authentic Worship" by Robin Radi - Malachi 1:1-14

Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living from The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing House in Kansas City Missouri United States for Friday, 2 February 2018 - "Intimate Relationship Brings Authentic Worship" by Robin Radi - Malachi 1:1-14 
Malachi 1:1 A prophecy, the word of Adonai to Isra’el through Mal’akhi:

2 “I love you,” says Adonai.

But you ask, “How do you show us your love?”

Adonai answers, “‘Esav was Ya‘akov’s brother.

Yet I loved Ya‘akov 3 but hated ‘Esav.

I made his mountains desolate

and gave his territory to desert jackals.”

4 Edom says, “We are beaten down now,

but we will come back and rebuild the ruins.”

Adonai-Tzva’ot answers, “They can build,

but I will demolish.

They will be called the Land of Wickedness,

the people with whom Adonai is permanently angry.

5 You will see it and say, ‘Adonai is great,

even beyond the borders of Isra’el.’”

6 “A son honors his father and a servant his master. But if I’m a father, where is the honor due me? and if I’m a master, where is the respect due me? — says Adonai-Tzva’ot to you cohanim who despise my name. You ask, ‘How are we despising your name?’ 7 By offering polluted food on my altar! Now you ask, ‘How are we polluting you?’ By saying that the table of Adonai doesn’t deserve respect; 8 so that there’s nothing wrong with offering a blind animal as a sacrifice, nothing wrong with offering an animal that’s lame or sick. Try offering such an animal to your governor, and see if he will be pleased with you! Would he even receive you?” asks Adonai-Tzva’ot. 9 So if you pray now that God will show us favor, what your actions have accomplished is that Adonai-Tzva’ot asks, “Will he receive any of you? 10 Why doesn’t even one of you shut the doors and thus stop this useless lighting of fires on my altar? I take no pleasure in you,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “and I will not receive an offering from you. 11 For from farthest east to farthest west my name is great among the nations. Offerings are presented to my name everywhere, pure gifts; for my name is great among the nations,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. 12 “But you profane it by saying that the table of Adonai is polluted, so that the fruit and food offered deserve contempt. 13 You also say, ‘It’s all so tiresome!’ and sniff scornfully at it,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. “Then you bring animals that were taken by violence, or they are lame or sick. This is the sort of offering you bring. Am I supposed to accept this from you?” asks Adonai. 14 “Moreover, cursed is the deceiver who has a male animal in his flock that is damaged, but vows and sacrifices to Adonai anyway. For I am a great king,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “and my name is respected among the nations.(Complete Jewish Bible)

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When serving the Lord becomes a duty instead of a pleasure, we risk making worship common and casual. Joy is a source of strength and power, but when we lose our joy, we become stingy, cheap, and measured. When our worship becomes monotony, we quickly forget to fear Him. The Lord is not a God to humored or manipulated. If we serve God with religiosity and legalism, then we begin to give barely enough to get by–barely enough of our week (Sundays at best), barely enough of our offerings, barely enough of our service.
When the joy is sucked out of our relationship with the Lord, we get to a point where we deeply offend Him. It would be the same as if we gave our loved ones barely enough attention to maintain the status quo. We would very quickly lose intimacy with each other. God's place in our lives should be guarded with highest respect and deepest admiration. We must find joy in our worship, seek His face, and relish His presence. When we do, others will see our joy and seek Him as well. We become fountains of water for those thirsty for authentic joyful worship.
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Hymn for Today: "Let All the People Praise Him" by Lelia N. Morris

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Thought for Today:  “As for you, Shlomo my son, know the God of your father. Serve him wholeheartedly and with desire in your being; for Adonai searches all hearts and understands all the inclinations of people’s thoughts. If you seek him, he will let himself be found by you; but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever.(1 Chronicles 28:9).

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Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Romania.

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