“Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’” Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. (Malachi 3:13-18 ESV)
Does it ever seem like all those evil people are getting the good stuff when the true followers of God are getting the shaft?
Do you feel like you are serving God in vain and not getting any where but just spinning your wheels?
We do not serve God in vain…
God has written down everything we have done in public and in secret. He will judge us for everything we have said and done and every action we have taken. He knows every motive for every process you have undertaken and if it is for personal gain, then you were not following the commandments, love the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself. If you have ever done anything to promote yourself, then you have let God down and are serving in vain…
If you are not worried about this, you had better check your pulse, because we are all guilty of looking out for #1… We look out for our selves and what we think is best for us before anyone else usually. It is a rare case that we are looking out for someone else over ourselves…
So who will be in the Book of Remembrance? Who’s name will be written down as being one who feared the Lord and esteemed Him? I can not say… I think though it will not be the ones worried about keeping the rules in spite of loving God and neighbor… If we can not put the other first, as God did, how can we say we love God and neighbor?
Look to your motivation, is it for you or the other? If it is for the other it is not in vain, if it is for you… Maybe you should think again…
aSacredRebel 