6. Malachi

Younger generations, with not much thoughts of the spiritual growth often say things like '' It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.'' (3:14)

Malachi speaks about the on-going faith, when we live and go through so much, especially when we are on either extremes of high and low. Success and failure has their dangers. When we reach the top, we might slack and our spiritual life might deteriorate too. When we fall to the very bottom, we questioned about fairness and justice. Whether or not you are believer, the questions revolved around the similar few.

Can the simple minds learn? Are careless attitudes alright? Is it always a blissful ignorance? Are the evildoers and troublemakers good in the eyes of the Lord? Is God please with you? Are you luke-warm?

'' So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against the sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud labourers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,'' says the Lord Almighty. (3:5)

''Surely the day is coming, it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day is coming will set them on fire,'' says the Lord Almighty. Not a root or branch will be left for them. (4:1)

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. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. (3:2-3)

Simply, Malachi urges believers to take obedience seriously and fear God, believing that He is to come soon to judge each and every of our thoughts, actions and decisions. Both the mind and the mouth can be efficient verbal dynamites. Your hands can do wonders, both good and evil. Hence we are reminded to remind ourselves to continuously practice our faith, seriously.

1. Do not offer to God whatever that is unpleasant or impure to you. If you do, ''I will accept no offering from your hands. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,'' says the Lord Almighty. (1:10-11)
2. Do not marry a partner of other religion. ''As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the Lord cut him off from the tents of Jacob, even though he brings offerings to the Lord Almighty. Nowadays, more often with much consistency, people look for common interests and compatibility in their marriage partner. A believer and unbeliever cannot be seen as being compatible. Our spiritual standing before God is the most important aspect of our lives. You may go against this and asked, "If I marry an unbeliever, will not I be in a good position to turn them to God?" But God’s commandments are based on wisdom. God knows that, usually and in fact, the unbelieving spouse causes the believing spouse to drift away from God.
3. Do not commit adultery. ''Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are His. And why one? Because He was seeking for godly offsprings. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.'' (2:15) But if you did commit it, as a punishment for your partner's suffering, the Lord will cut off His relationship with the one who've done wrong. He will come to regret for what he did: "You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because He no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands."(2:13).
4. Do not choose divorce, do not choose to sin, and do not give excuses or compromise with wrong-doings. ''I hate divorce, says the Lord God and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garments.'' (2:16).
   

So yes, even minor decisions are able to shake your faith and cause you to be weary in the presence of God and backslide. Malachi is seriously urging us to practice our faith seriously and continuously. He reminds us to not do things that will cause us to be shaken. Do not put the Lord to test for he says, ''test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'' (3:10)

God tells us that he keeps a scroll of remembrance (3:16), on which he records those who fear him, and that sometime in the future He will come as judge, destroying the wicked, and perservering those who feared Him. The value of serving Him will be obvious someday, even if it is no today.

''A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am the father, where is the honor due me? If I am the master, where is the respect due me? says the Lord Almighty.'' (1:6)

The bitter truth? Or a pleasant righteousness meant to be discovered? I say the latter. Keeping God's commandments is way off our scope and strength. But remember God the Provider is always there, awaiting for us to go Home.