Mosaic: Resources Devo

March 18th, 2018

“Mosaic: Resources” - Malachi 3: 6-12 and Proverbs 3: 9-10

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Does Not Change” - Mal 3: 6

Often like it seems like everything in our life is changing, unstable, ever in flux. While there may certainly be aspects of our lives that are scheduled, like going to work or watching our grandchildren, there are other aspects that can interrupt even what do from day to day. When a layoff or illness or death touches our lives, everything else changes around those moments. 

In contrast to our lives, which are ever-changing, the prophet Malachi reminds the people that God does not change. Some of the theological words that we use to describe God are omnipotent - which means that God is all-powerful, having no limitations, and omnipresent - meaning God is everywhere. In other words, no one has more power than God and God is always with us. God is unchanging.

But often when we are going through a difficult time, like the people of Israel are going through, we need a reminder that God is unchanging, even in the midst of the chaos. And for the children of Israel, they need to be reminded that God is at their side, always, which is why they have not perished. 

What ways are you reminded of God’s unchanging presence?

How do you cling to God in the midst of the storm? 

Prayer: Gracious God, we are a feeble people. When our world comes crashing down, as it is prone to do, we sometimes forget that you are unchanging, no matter what. Help us to cling to you, our rock and our redeemer, whatever life may hold. Amen.

Tuesday: “Return to Me” - Mal 3: 7

However, even though God is always with us, that does not mean that God is always for the things that we do in life. When we stumble into sin, as the ancient Israelites have, God sometimes isn’t as noticeably present in our lives, because our sin blocks our perception. 

The Israelites are in captivity, being held by Persia, and they believe that God has forgotten them. God in return reminds them why they are in captivity in the first place -  they strayed from God. Now God reminds them of another truth - if they return their hearts to God they will be restored.

Sometimes text like that in Malachi are used to mis-represent God to Christians. It is true, that when we sin, we distance ourselves from God, but sometimes such texts are used to say that whenever we do not feel God’s presence in our lives, it must be sin. That is not true. We go through periods of consolation - feeling closer to God and desolation - feeling distant from God, even without sin being present in our lives. We must be careful to not take Biblical scriptures out of context to try to apply them to our own situations without considering the context. 

When do you feel closer or further from God?

How can sin impact our relationship with God? 

Prayer:  Precious Lord, sometimes we focus on our situation and not your presence with us. Other times we let ourselves become distracted by sin and forget your righteousness, causing us to stray. Forgive us, Lord, we pray, and restore us like you have restored your children throughout the ages. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Robbing God” - Mal. 3: 8-9

We often do not think in terms of robbing God, but there are certainly times in our lives when we may not give God what God is due. Malachi is specifically speaking to the Israelites in term of the tithe - not giving their first and best ten percent to God for God’s use. This ten percent is a thank offering to God, realizing that what we have is God’s in the first place, whether it be the profit of our hands or the work of the field. In many ways, we have replaced a tithe, with an offering, and sometimes think that we can give God whatever we have left, not the first fruits of our labors, but this was not what the Bible intended.

As modern people, we have other aspects of our lives to offer as well - our time, our talents, our spiritual gifts - many resources that sometimes we forget that we even have. God calls us to offer pieces of all that we have, for when we bring them together, as the body of Christ, God can take our offering and do profound things. When we refuse to bring ourselves to the ministry of Christ in the world, using our resources, we may be described as robbing God as well, as harsh as the words of Malachi may seem. 

In what ways do we rob God today?

How can we shift our attitudes and perspectives in order to freely offer ourselves unto God?

Prayer: Lord, we confess that we often do not think about robbing you. Instead, we think that we do not have enough to offer or that we are not enough ourselves to work for your Kingdom. Forgive us, we pray. Heal us. Open our hands the cling so tightly to what we have and let us freely give to you what is yours. Amen. 

Thursday: “Bring” - Malachi 3: 10-12

The reality is that just because we recognize that we are robbing God, that does not mean the recognition will lead us to act differently. Sometimes there is a long journey between our head, to our heart, and eventually to our hands. 

God recognizes that the Israelites may feel that the enlightenment of the recognition that they are robbing God may be enough for them, so God continues to clearly tell them what they need to do - bring the full tithe to the storehouse and see what God can do with it.

There are times in life when we may recognize that we have sinned, but we recognition is not enough. We need to take the bold step of asking for forgiveness, and in some cases God is going to direct us to seek restoration and in other instances God may simply say “Go and sin no more.” In the case of the Israelites, God invites them to not only confess their sin, but to act in a redemptive way, that will change their own hearts. 

How are recognition of sin and a change of heart related for you?

Prayer: Lord, in the words of the Psalmist, change our heart O God. Open our hearts and head and hand that we can turn from sin that separates us from you and live into the new life you have invited us into. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Friday: “Honor the Lord” - Proverbs 3: 9-10

We often talk about honoring the Lord with what we say and what we do, but the author of Proverbs invites us to honor God with our resources as well, with the author calls our substance. 

Sometimes we get tricked into thinking that what we offer to God of who we are and what we have is about what we can get in return, and sometimes this passage from proverbs is misused in that way. But we don’t give because of what we can get back; we give because of what God has given to us. We give because God is good and worthy of praise. We give because when we don’t give we sometimes gloss over the blessings God has given us. 

So let us give of our very substance in the coming day and weeks, and watch not for what we get in return, but for how God changes our heart through giving. 

How does giving change us?

Why do you give?

Prayer: God, we come before you as a thankful people. As a people who give because you have given so much for us. May what we offer express our praise. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “Mosaic: Relationships” - Matthew 27: 57-61 and Mark 5. 

Family Activity: Why do we give to other people? What do we give to other people? Talk about how giving makes us feel and why we give out of our very love for God.