Today’s scripture: Malachi 1:1-5 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two.
My thoughts (Mark Shoup):
With apologies to all step-children, I, a red-headed child, feel at least partially entitled to use the idiom.
I was talking with a good friend from High School recently. He had run across the mother of a mutual friend of ours at the grocery store, and had asked her how our friend was doing. She reported that she didn’t know, hadn’t heard from him in over 5 years, and had no idea where he was living. My friend was amazed that a family could be so estranged as to not even know where their members were living. Unfortunately, I wasn’t all that surprised. I’ve heard many times how families will cut all ties with a member who doesn’t fit their perceived norm for gender, sexual attraction, religious affiliation, or even career. It’s very sad, and I thank God that I have not experienced this treatment, but it does happen, and probably more often than we realize.
But even the best of us with the most loving parents might not always feel like a part of the family because of our differences. This can be true of our biological families, as well as our church families.
How often have you felt you were on the very fringes of God’s family?
I have to admit I suffer from this occasionally. I would like to say that it isn’t my fault, but if I’m completely honest, I have to take the blame for it. You see, when I’m frustrated and feeling this way, it is usually because I have gotten distracted and haven’t been faithful with my quiet time, or haven’t been to my small group in a while. I haven’t been maintaining connections.
Reconnecting with that part of my spiritual life that I’ve been neglecting is usually all it takes to feel like the favorite son again. How sad that all that pain could have been avoided by not lapsing in the first place! But if past performance is any indication, I will probably find myself there again someday, as we all probably will to some degree.
Thought for the day: If you are starting to feel estranged from God, you might save yourself a lot of suffering by asking, “Is there a part of my spiritual life I’m neglecting?”
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.