“I have loved you, says the Lord; but you say how have you loved us?”
(Malachi 1:2
)Do we ask ourselves, how do I love God? How can I give my best to Him?
The following are three ways we can give our best to God:
1. Embrace an authentic faith. When a man is bored with God, even heaven does not have a better alternative.
“A son honors his father, and a servant fears his master; If then I am a father, where is the honor due to me? And if I am a master, where is the reverence due to me? So says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise his name. But you asked, 'How have we despised your name?' By offering polluted food on my altar! Then you asked, ‘How have we polluted it?’ By saying the table of the Lord may be slighted!” (Malachi 1:6-7
)A father is kind, loving and tender to his child. But at the same time, he is also a disciplinarian and does not tolerate improper behavior.
2. Give God priority over possessions.
“When you offer a blind animal for sacrifice, is this not evil? When you offer the lame or the sick, is it not evil? Present it to your governor; see if he will accept it, or welcomes you, says the Lord of
the hosts. So now if you implore God for mercy on us, when you have done the like will he welcome any of you? Says the Lord of the hosts.” (Malachi 1:8-9
)“Tell Aaron and his sons to respect the sacred offerings which the Israelites consecrate to me; else they will profane my holy name. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 22:2
)“…if it is to be acceptable, the ox or sheep or goat that he offers must be unblemished male. You shall not offer one that has defect, for such one would not be acceptable for you.” (Leviticus 19:20)
There are three standards for sacrifices
• Give God the best.
• Give to God first
“As soon as the order was promulgated, the Israelites brought in great quantities, the best of their grain, wine, oil, honey and all the produce of the fields; they gave a generous tithe of everything." (2
Chronicles 31:5)
• Giving should cost something. Giving should be sacrificial.
3. Grasp the greatness of God.
“Oh, that one among you would shut the temple gates to keep you from kindling fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you says the Lord of hosts; neither will I accept any sacrifice from your hands,
For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, my name is great among nations, And everywhere they bring sacrifice to my name, and a pure offering; For great is my name among nations, says the Lord of the hosts. But you behave profanely toward me by thinking the Lord’s Table and its offerings may be polluted and its food slighted. You also say, ‘What a burden!’ and you scorn it, says the Lord of the
hosts; you bring in what you seize, or the lame, or the sick; yes you bring it as a sacrifice. Shall I accept it from your hands? Says the Lord. Cursed is the deceiver, who has in his flock a male, but under
his vow sacrifices to the Lord a gelding; for a great King am I, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among nations." (Malachi 1:10-14
)We are not giving our best to God if:
• We have inadequate preparation.
• We have half-hearted participation.
• We have improper motivation.
“Let not your utterances make you guilty, and say, not before his representative, ‘It was a mistake,’ lest God be angered by such words and destroy the works of your hands.” (Ecclesiastes 5:5
)When I look into the future, I am frightened But why plunge in the future? Only the present moment is precious to me As the future may never enter my soul at all
O present moment, you belong to me
Whole and entire
I desire to use you as best as I can
And although I am weak and small
You grant me the grace of your omnipotence.
-St. Faustina
Please wait...
