PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church

Thursday

Scripture lesson: Malachi 3:1-4 Surprise, surprise

Time to Reflect: This passage does not refer to John the Baptist or Jesus. It is about the expectation that God would send a prophet with good news about God's coming. The prophet of Malachi (the name translates into English as “My messenger”) is warning that for many of them, this would be bad news, not good. We all want “cheap grace” where nothing is expected of us and to have everything work out to our benefit... We might be in for a surprise.

Moving Through the Day: The next time you say (or hear) “Oh, my God!” Think about whether, at that moment, you really want to have God respond.

Scripture:

The Coming Messenger

3See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.* 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.