January 2, 2023
And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 1:9) ESV.
As I begin a new month of Devotional Thoughts, I will be centering my Devotional Thought posts on “Fulfilling our purpose.” May I start by saying, “We are not on this earth for our gratification or pleasure.” We are here to fulfill the purposes of God in our generation. We are ambassadors of Jesus Christ, and we must live our lives bringing honor to His Name.” That said, we have the privilege of living in an exciting time. Never before has there been such an opportunity to serve God; the question is, are we making the most of the time we have on this earth?
In our Scripture read today from Malachi chapter one, we see God is unhappy with His people. They are not giving their best to Him. I have mentioned several times during this past year that God is not interested in our sacrifices as (1 Samuel 15:22) tells us, “And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” God rebuked His people in Malachi chapter one because they were not obeying Him. God places a very high premium on obedience – it is everything to Him!
Therefore, obedience must be our starting point if we want to enjoy God’s favor in our lives. We will never experience blessings if we are not obedient to God. We cannot and will not reach our full potential in God if we are not prepared to submit to Him in all things.
Friends, when it says all things, it means all things. Your life, marriage, family, ministry, business (our jobs), and all our interactions with people. Are you ready for the ride? If you are, please join me in this prayer today.
Dear Heavenly Father, You have called me to be a person of purpose who serves at Your pleasure, my Heavenly Father. You require complete and absolute surrender of my life to You. Lord, thank You for Your love and faithfulness to me. I surrender all to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Encouraging Words: God has a reason for allowing things to happen. We may never understand His wisdom, but we have to trust His Will.
God Bless you, Friends, and have a Blessed Day <><
Thoughts by Randall Stapleton is a Daily Devotion brought to you by The Bridge - Learn more at https://wearethebridge.org
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