Malachi 3:1-4 (NRSV)
Read Malachi 3:1-4 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 3See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight-indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. Verse 2But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; Verse 3he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Verse 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
Devotion
We encounter a lot of different messengers in life. A messenger might leave a parcel at the door or a virtual messenger might meet us online. There might be a messenger that we hear on the answering machine, who says it’s very important that we call back, because it’s about a family member. There are messengers with good news, neutral news or sometimes bad news.
But the messenger Malachi tells us about is someone we really need to hear from. Might it be painful news? Perhaps. But it is refining, it is purifying. It is news that the Lord will do a new and good thing for us, for all. Isn’t this news we want to hear?
Prayer
Holy and merciful God, by your grace do a new thing in our lives, through Jesus your Son. Amen.