“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.” Malachi 1:10
What a powerful and scary verse!
Let me set the stage…
Times were hard for the Israelites. The land was dry. The crops were barely producing. The animals and people were suffering. The enemies of the Israelites were prevailing in battle. The people, who had time after time seen the delivering hand of God, were wavering in their faith.
They went to the altar of God, but instead of sacrificing their very best, they gave God their rejects. If they had prize sheep or goats, they kept these for breeding. It was their way of protecting their own investments. Afterall, they must have thought, in hard times, it didn’t make sense to waste the best, of which they had very little, on God? (Oh Lord, forgive me for even having to type that…but it’s true!)
God would not accept their half-hearted worship!
God said He would rather see the church doors closed than to be worshipped in such a way. Whew! That’s tough stuff!
I don’t know about you, but sometimes my worship is half-hearted. Sometimes, especially during the dark days, through the valleys of my life, my worship suffers. God just doesn’t receive my best. Sometimes, I’m tempted to withhold, when I’m afraid I may run short. Just being honest…
I’m thankful I’m not dependent on animal sacrifices anymore and that my sacrifice to God has been filled completely by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, but I wonder…
If I were the temple of God, (wait…I am…) is there ever a time He would rather my church doors be closed, than to accept the half-hearted devotion I bring? Wow! What a thought!
How much of your heart is God getting in your worship these days?
