CHEATERS

As the teacher read through his pupils’ exam papers it became clear that the class had cheated and copied each other’s answers. So he told them: “Admit that you have cheated, and then the remainder of your classwork will decide your final grade at the end of the year. The school will keep no record of your cheating.” Everyone in the class admitted they had cheated.

God told the people of Judah to come clean too. They had been cheating Him (MALACHI 3:8-9). The people, having returned from exile in Babylon, were half-hearted in their relationship with God. The small offerings and tokens of ‘love’ they were throwing God’s way showed how disinterested they really were in Him. Instead of giving God the best of everything as a sign of their love and dependence on Him, they were giving the dregs.

You can almost hear the people of Judah saying, Hey God, we’ve been through some tough times lately. Give us a break! I think we sometimes do the same thing—allowing hard days and difficult situations to be an excuse to push God to the back of our minds while we get on and sort stuff out. But when we do this, we’re cheating Him. We are still to give Him the best of us, even on our worst days.

God told His people that He would “open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it” (V.10). And He will do the same for you and me. Even in our tough times. So let’s keep Him as our focus, even when we feel like we don’t have time, and we will be able to experience the peace of knowing He is with us and leading us through. TF

To pray about . . .

Father, when things are hard and I feel like I don’t have time for You, please help me to slow down and focus back on Jesus. You are my shield, strength and provider. Help me to give You my best, even when I’m at my worst, so I can rest in Your goodness.