#DailyDevotion Do You Make Others Question Whether It’s Worth Serving The Lord Jesus Or Not?

September 27th
Read Mal 3:6—4:6
Mal 3:13-18 “Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ (14) You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? (15) And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.'” (16) Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. (17) “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. (18) Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

There are those in Church and those who have been in Church, who like the Israelites around Malachi, don’t see any advantage or purpose in serving the Lord, trusting the Lord or suffering for His name’s sake. Like these untrusters in ancient Israel they say, “It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? (15) And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.” As Billy Joel sang, “Only the good die young.” And then he sung about breaking the Laws of the Lord because, well, what’s the use.

Jesus apparently doesn’t appreciate this line of thinking or speaking. It is speaking hard against the Lord and is therefore blasphemy. However, there are those trusters of the Lord Jesus who when they hear such people saying such perverse things, they speak together, edify one another in their faith and speak out against such defilers of God’s holy name.

Those who trust in the Lord Jesus and believe on Him despite the evidence to the contrary that He is on their side, He writes their names in the book of Life. Those who fear Jesus and esteem His Name are precious in His sight. They shall belong to Him and are His treasured possession. He spares such people on the Last Day. Though they may have sinned much and many a time, Jesus will overlook all that because they put their trust in Him and in His Name. They fear Him and trust in His promises. Verse 18 is most interesting because the distinction between the wicked and the righteous is not based on how well everyone is doing in being “good” or “bad.” It is based on those who despite their sins, who despite their evil circumstances, remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting in Him, standing up for His name. Their faith in Jesus is their righteousness before the Father on Judgment Day not their outward works. Trusting Jesus IS serving Jesus.

Lord Jesus Christ, ever give us such faith in Your Name, that we may bear our crosses with patience and trust, believing you will call us to be Your Own Treasured Possession and grant us eternal life at the resurrection of the dead. Amen.