You Are Lovd!

O. T. #2338  "You Are Loved!"

Dec. 13, 2022

Malachi 1 

LET IT GLOW

Dear friend, do you need to feel loved today? Be assured of this one thing-God loves you. Sometimes during the holidays, we feel left out or unimportant, lonely, having just another day of life to mark off the calendar. The holidays seem to make us miss our loved ones gone on or we can't make it home for Christmas. Read on to find it here.

Doesn't it seem a common thing for teens or even children to question what they have been told to do by parents, teachers, adults? A likely sarcastic response from them is "Whatever." Israel was that way, too. Join me as we take a closer look.

As the prophet delivers God's Word to Israel, the people respond by arguing. Seven times the Jews respond and arguing with God, trying to defend their sinful ways. 

Wherein means What? How? Why? When?; whatever; what (end, good, purpose, thing).

Malachi pointed out the terrible sins of the people and the priests. How did they respond?

1. They doubted God's love. (1:1-5)
2. They despised His name.  (1:6-14)
3. They defiled His covenant. (2:1-17)
4. They disobeyed His Word. (3::1-15)  [Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament]

Burden refers to load, or thing lifted up.

It was a burden for Malachi to bring these messages with his people. He does not take delight in bringing it, but he does faithfully deliver it. It is what the people need, whether they like it or not. Sometimes today's preachers carry that burden if they tell the Truth of the Word.

Word means matter, thing.

Jehovah, Yahweh, the eternal God, is the source of the Word here. It is addressed to Israel by Malachi.

Do we consider a sermon a message to us individual or to a church from God? What Word have we heard lately that God is trying to tell us?

LET IT GROW

What was the first message from God?

I have loved you.

Isn't love the basic thing we humans need? We love to be loved, need to be needed, want to be wanted. (my own quote) Do we recognize that children and elderly, especially need those?

In the Hebrew language, loved is the word ahab (aw-hab') means to have affection for; like; friend.

Did you hear that? God has affection for you and me. He loves us and likes us, even as a friend.

Jeremiah 31:3 says, The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

I think that is the good news we need to hear and proclaim-God loves you. His love always has been, always is, and always will be. He proved His love by coming to earth in the human form of Jesus. Therefore, we are to love each other, dear one.

Today's challenge is to go show the love of God today with others.

LET IT GO