Evening Scripture Malachi 3“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years. “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors 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 mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—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 there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty. “You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the Lord. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’” 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 feared the Lord and honored his name. “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and 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. Evening Reflection Sadly, more and more people have heart conditions. Not the kind that requires physical surgery, medication, or exercise, but the kind of heart condition that needs to be spiritually softened, refined, and made new by the love of God. Most often, we don’t recognize what causes this kind of heart condition, such as jealousy, greed, self-righteousness, partiality, withholding good, slander, and more. Whereas physical heart conditions cause physical limitations, where those afflicted have to be cautious and often are unable to keep up with others; spiritual heart conditions cause spiritual limitations, too, such as our prayers not being heard and answered, blessings unable to be poured out to us, and the devourer robbing us of the fruitfulness God has prepared and waiting for us. Yet, it doesn’t have to be that way, because we can ask God to refine our hearts with His love, meaning we surrender to His burning away of sinfulness in our lives, and a washing with His word like soap to cleanse away dirtiness that has built up in our hearts. But isn’t the purging of our hearts worth it, to endure His purifying and cleansing so that we might walk and live in His blessings? It also involves us giving our all to Him, withholding nothing from His hand. Evening Prayer God,Starting tonight, purify and refine my heart, burning away and cleansing all within it that is not of You. Even though I don’t know all that will be involved, of all the changes and challenges that may come through it in my life, or if I even feel strong enough to endure it on my own, I surrender to Your will and ask You to do Your work in and through me; to cleanse, mold, and make my heart softened and attuned to You and Your word. Shape my heart to be generous towards You, withholding nothing from Your hand.Pour Your love into my heart so that it fills and consumes me, overflowing with love for You and for others.Amen Want More? If tonight’s episode blessed you, be sure to follow the show so your next nightly scripture is ready when you are. Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
