7th. July. 2021. Daily Devotion.
Malachi 3:1-4
1 I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ says the Lord Almighty.
2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.
The Old Testament ends with a note of expectancy: “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty
After the last writings of the Old Testament, there was a lag of about 400 years when there were no Biblical writings. During that time, the world experienced the classical Greek period of Athens, Sparta and the philosophers; the Persians of Daniel’s day conquered much of the world before diminishing and being replaced by the empire of Alexander the Great. The influence of Greece gave way to the rise of Rome and a new empire of iron ruled the known world. It was into this period of relative political stability that Jesus was born.
When he came, there were shouts of praise in the heavenlies. The exuberance of the angels bespeaks a groaning of the entirety of creation for the Messiah. Yet he came in humility.
I can fail to appreciate the magnitude of his coming sometimes. Reading scripture in this way reminds me how blessed I am to have been born into an age after his coming. ~ S. Peterson.
Lord God, may I always remember the blessing of being born in a time when I can
Prayer for God’s Help
Bow down your ear, O Lord, and hear me, for I am suffering. I am poor and needy. Preserve my life; I am holy because you are my God. Save your servant who trusts in you. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to you all day long. Bring joy to the soul of your servant, for I lift up my soul to you. You are good, and you are quick to forgive, abundant in mercy to all those who call upon you. Hear my prayer, O Lord. Listen to my cry for help. Amen.
~ based on Psalm 86.
A Psalmist’s Prayer
O Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens but we have sullied your handiwork.
Out of the mouths of the young come dire warnings.
When we look at the heavens, the work of your fingers, we ignore our reckless conduct.
What are human beings that you are mindful of them?
We have made ourselves a little higher than the angels, lording it over creation with scant forethought.
You have given us dominion over the works of your hands, which we have trampled underfoot.
O Lord, our Sovereign, invite us back to Eden, to be proper stewards, so that we might be better with that which you called good. Amen.
~ Inspired by Psalm 8
Prayer for Overcoming Life’s Hardships
O Lord we call upon you in our time of sorrows, That you give us the strength and will to bear our heavy burdens, until we can again feel the warmth and love of Your divine compassion. Be mindful of us and have mercy on us while we struggle to comprehend life’s hardships Keep us ever in Your watch, till we can walk again with light hearts and renewed spirits. Amen.
