Passage Read: Malachi 1-4
Meditation Verses: 3:15-18
Thought
It is hard to entrust ourselves fully to the Lord and His ways when we see the wicked, those who reject God, ignore Him, even mock Him, when we see them not only survive, but prosper and thrive. It would be so much easier if we saw judgment on the wicked and rebellious immediately. But then there would be no choosing of the Lord, no need for faith, no honor of the Lord simply because He is our Father and Creator. The Lord is looking for those who choose Him in spite of what they see and want to be true. He is looking for those who believe in Him and believe Him. He is looking for those who choose to honor and obey Him, even and especially if they can't see. These are the ones who are truly precious to Him, who love Him and move Him to compassion and delight.
Application
There is a day coming when the righteous will be rewarded and exalted in the eyes of all men. But we have to wait a little longer for it. There is still a chance for others to be saved through their faith in the Lord. There is still testing to purify my faith, to increase it, to see it grow so that I can obtain a better resurrection. For now it seems the wicked not only prosper but get away with even more than before. Today they can put their evil on full display and no one rebukes them! They are thumbing their nose at God like never before. Even in the Church, those who claim to believe in Him turn away from His truth and standards and cast His Word behind their backs. They treat God with contempt and believe they will be just fine. They don't believe in God, they just think Church is a way to get power over foolish people. They mock us all. How discouraging! But they do so to their own hurt. I don't have to turn away from God because I don't see His judgment poured out yet. Perhaps He's simply waiting for me to speak up for Him, to warn and rebuke those who mock Him, if for no other reason than to increase my reward, to multiply His delight in me. How much more will He love me if I abandon my own dignity to defend His honor?