Try Presenting that to your Governor

Scripture Verse that caught my attention today: Malachi 1:8 when you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not wrong? Try presenting that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts.

Observation: I love the line, “try presenting that to your governor;”

Application: I suppose what’s at the heart of this passage is the question, “does God care what we offer?” Can God tell the difference between that which is really prime and that which is scrap? And whether or not God can tell the difference, Malachi can tell the difference…and he is NOT impressed!

In some respects, what’s really at stake here is the witness. What kind of witness do we offer to others in regard to our faith when our offering is but the dregs of our production?

The implication is that, since God knows all of us personally, God is in a position to distinguish sincere and sacrificial gifts from those that are merely token and/or obligatory. Sometimes those around us can tell the difference as well. As the saying goes, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

When Malachi quips, “try presenting that to your governor,” he is reminding us that if a governor can tell the difference between a quality offering and a cheap one, surely God’s discernment is infinitely greater. Let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that God doesn’t notice or even care.

Prayer: Lord, help us all to be more sacrificial and more joyful in our sharing. The goal is to want to do such things rather than trying to get by with the least amount of commitment possible. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(readings today included: Nehemiah 13, Malachi 1-2, Acts 4)