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
Sometimes, it is all too easy for us to cry out for God's coming. We yearn for God to come in power to save us from our fears, obstacles and enemies. We desire our own deliverance, and maybe even the judgment of others. Yet, as the scripture passage for today says, "who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?"
This passage speaks of God's coming as a time of purification and refinement. While this portrayal certainly brings fear, it might also bring awe. Like a refiner of gold and silver, God sees us not only for what we are, but also for what we can and will be. God sees the sin, injustice and death that separate us from God and seeks to restore us to the fullness of life. We will be made whole again through God's grace and God's judgment.
Prayer
O Refiner, make of us, your children, a pleasing offering that is acceptable to the Lord. Amen.