“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.” Malachi 3:17 NLT

Treasured Possessions

There was a time in my life when God opened my eyes to the truth that one of my closest friends was creatively deceptive in twisting God’s Holy Word. This was very disturbing to me; God reassured me that He will take care of His own as promised in Malachi.

In our world today it is difficult at times to discern between the ‘righteous’ and the ‘wicked’ other than what is obviously evil. What we discern of good or evil will affect our lives forever. You may feel that these are very strong words, and I agree that they are. In reality, we either choose Heaven’s armies, or Hell’s armies. Deception is becoming more and more prevalent in our world, as well as in our churches.

What God is sharing with us in this Scripture in Malachi is that He will spare His faithful servants on the day of His judgment. When we make the choice to confess our sins and receive Him into our lives as our personal Savior, we then make a commitment to walk in obedience to Him. It is our responsibility to learn as much as we can about our Lord and ourselves while pursuing our purpose here on this earth.

There are many people who are serving God, but their hearts are not right with Him; these people can be difficult to distinguish between the people who are actually serving the Lord with right hearts. Those who are serving with right hearts are His faithful servants. We are not to judge anyone before the time; however, it is our job to discern between the two. God views those who serve Him in love, sincerity, and cheerfulness as His precious jewels—they are highly esteemed by Him. Jewels sparkle and stand out among other stones and gems.

We are to serve God in love and be genuinely happy in doing so. My father used to say, “Whatever your heart finds to do, do it with all your might”.

Sometimes we need a little encouragement as well as a reminder that we need to walk closer with our Lord, stay close to our church family, and serve Him in obedience without complaining or reluctance. Even obedient children have their bad moments, and as parents we recognize their hearts, discipline them, and encourage them to get back on the right path again. So it is with us and our Lord–we may make mistakes and bad decisions, but when we confess and ask forgiveness He puts us back on the right path once again.

Thank You, Lord, for this reality check in our lives. Help us to be ever mindful of what we can do to serve You in this life here on earth. Give us discernment about the deception we face today. Thank You for Your grace. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.