Unwrapping Advent: Through Voices of Wisdom Dec. 28
Saturday, December 28, 2024
Day 28
1Look, I am sending my messenger who will clear the path before me; suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking will come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you take delight is coming, …
2… He is like the refiner’s fire or the cleaner’s soap.
3He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.
They will belong to the Lord,
presenting a righteous offering….
5I will draw near to you for judgment.
I will be quick to testify against the sorcerers, the adulterers, those swearing falsely, against those who cheat the day laborers out of their wages as well as oppress the widow and the orphan, and against those who brush aside the foreigner and do not revere me, says the Lord of heavenly forces.6 I am the Lord, and I do not change; and you, children of Jacob,
have not perished.
***
10 Please test me in this, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
See whether I do not open all the windows
of the heavens for you and empty out a blessing
until there is enough.
Malachi 3:1-6, 10, CEB
His Refining Love
This passage brings to mind truths learned in my faith journey:
- God never changes.
- God loves us beyond anything we can measure.
- God yearns to be in relationship with us, and wants us to love as God loves, unconditionally.
- God asks us to change, to be refined, to grow, to be perfected in His image.
- God wants us to test what God says in God’s word.
- God will give us glimpses of Heaven if we allow God that opportunity.
- God will bless us in ways we can’t fathom.
God shows up every day, nudging me to share His great and refining love. My job is to pay attention, to listen, and to act.
I once found myself visiting a church member in the hospital, only to find that moments earlier the doctor had given her news that her cancer had returned. No family was there, but I could be.
On another occasion, I called on an elderly friend, only to learn that she had just returned home after a freak accident. In that moment, she needed someone to listen, and I was glad to be there for her.
God will bless us in ways we cannot fathom. But sometimes we get to experience those blessings and see God’s hand at work, connecting our lives and love to each other. In those moments, we get a glimpse of Heaven.
Reflect: Where might God be leading you today? Is there someone you might reach out to, to share God’s love?
Pray: Precious Lord, I have not always paid attention to Your guidance. Help me to look for You in each day, with an open heart and mind, to find opportunities to share Your love with others. In doing so, I will be truly blessed. Amen.
Ellen Mainiero
Stephen Ministry Leader
Faithbuilders Small Group