I have prayed God would allow me to write what I feel is a stronghold for some.
I felt led today to turn to the book of Malachi 3:1 but read the Chapter through fully. You would enjoy the NLT.
It was a reminder to me about the things that we allow ourselves to speak. We must remember: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (Proverbs 18:21).
Malachi says something pretty important as well:
The Lord tells the people in verse 13 that they have SAID terrible things about Him. He even repeats back to them what they say in verses 14-15:
“You have SAID, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.’”
Whoa! What a reminder to us!
My question today is, are we allowing both doubt and faith to spew out of the same mouth? Are we declaring the promises of God but yet we question the things that happen around us, to us, and to our loved ones instead of standing on the promises of God?
Do we question the things of the world when bad things happen wondering why God didn’t intervene?
Does what we speak truly align with what God says in His word truly belong to us as His children? Do we stand on those promises or do we speak them but yet speak our doubts?
Understand this is not to cause condemnation, but instead an urgency to start praising the Lord through everything we face.
I have to remind myself of that often when I start asking God questions. Also, when I start voicing my concerns out to another individual. It is a check in my spirit to say “No, stop!”
Will I allow both bitter and sweet to pour from the same fountain?
Let James 3:11-12 remind us:
“Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus NO SPRING YIELDS BOTH salt water and fresh.” James 3:11-12 KJV
That tells me that, even if I declare the promises of God, but I still spew out questions of doubt and fear, that what I am going to yield is not what I expect and hope for (even it is the promises from the Word of God).
If I want to see the plans and promises of God come to fruition, I need to be the mouthpiece that speaks His promises AND praises Him through the doubt. We must stand upon His unfailing, forever written Word. His promises shall stand forever, but that does not mean we will not endure some things.
Let’s endure like good soldiers, boldly fighting the good fight of faith.
Let’s put on the WHOLE armor that God says we have available to us in Ephesians 6, which tells us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of HIS might. Remember, it’s not our strength, but His power within us.
So gird your waist with Truth (SPEAK HIS TRUTH OUT), put on the breastplate of righteousness, the preparation of the gospel of PEACE, ABOVE ALL take the shield of faith so that we can quench those fiery darts from the enemy.
Do not forget to protect your mind, that thought life, because what starts there, likes to make its way out of the mouth, so put on the HELMET of salvation.
Take, sword of the Spirit, which is the WORD of God; PRAYING (SPEAKING OUT) “always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”
The writer of Ephesians even states, “and for me, that UTTERANCE may be given to me, that I may OPEN MY MOUTH BOLDLY to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may SPEAK BOLDLY, as I OUGHT TO SPEAK.”
Ultimately, we can trust God loves us and His ways are higher than ours. Trust Him!
Malachi 3 closes with a beautiful scene.
It says those who feared the Lord SPOKE with each other, and the Lord LISTENED to what they SAID. And in His presence, there was a scroll of remembrance… “And was written to record the names of those who feared Him and always THOUGHT about the honor of His name….”
For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must KEEP THEIR TONGUE from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.” 1 Peter 3:10-11.
I pray whoever needs this, reads it because I know it’s lengthy. But I pray too that we watch what we speak, making sure our words align with the Word and the precious promises of God, in Jesus name.
Verses from Malachi:
Verses:
Malachi 3:
You have said terrible things about me,” says the Lord.
“But you say, ‘What do you mean? What have we said against you?’
14 “You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins? 15 From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.’”
The Lord’s Promise of Mercy
16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.
17 “They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. 18 Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”