Blemished/Crippled/Diseased Sacrifices...

The message the Lord brought through Pastor Bob yesterday really spoke to my heart. It was one of those messages that instantly caused me to think deep and closely examine. I'm still pondering, considering, listening...

"A son honors his father, and a servant his master.
If I am a father, where is the honor due me?
If I am a master, where is the respect due me?"
says the Lord Almighty.
"It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.
"But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'

"You place defiled food on my altar.
"But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?'
"By saying that the Lord's table is contemptible.

When you bring blind animals for sacrifice,
is that not wrong?
When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals,
is that not wrong?
Try offering them to your governor!
Would he be pleased with you?
Would he accept you?
says the Lord Almighty.

"Now implore God to be gracious to us.
With such offerings from your hands,
will he accept you?"
--says the Lord Almighty.

"Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors,
so that you would not light useless fires on my altar!
I am not pleased with you,"
says the Lord Almighty,
"and I will accept no offering from your hands.

My name will be great among the nations,
from the rising to the setting of the sun.
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.

"But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table,
'It is defiled,'
and of its food,
'It is contemptible.'

And you say,
'What a burden!'
and you sniff at it contemptuously,"
says the Lord Almighty.
"When you bring injured,
crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices,
should I accept them from your hands?"
says the Lord.

"Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male
in his flock and vows to give it,
but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord.
For I am a great king,"
says the Lord Almighty,
"and my name is to be feared among the nations.

Malachi 1:6~14

As I have read and reflected over these verses again this morning the ringing question in my ear is:

*In what areas of my life
do I offer blemished sacrifices to the Lord?

~in my marriage...
~in my giving (tithes)...
~in my service...
~in my worship...
~in my time...
~in my homeschooling...
~in my parenting...
~in my housework...

As I listed these things, the Lord then brought these questions to my heart...

*How often do I do things half-heartedly?

*How often do I do "just enough" to get by?

*How often do I "give enough" to get by?

*How often do I do things with a reluctant heart?

*Do I truly give my best for God?


*Am I laying a crippled sacrifice on His altar?

My heart is stirring...
I feel convicted...
I all too often give my Saviour much less than my best...
He gave His ALL for me...

The real most important question is...

*What will I do with the instruction I have been given?