Malachi 1:8
“And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.”
The book of Malachi opens with God confronting His people through His prophet. The priests were supposed to lead the way in honoring God, but instead they were offering polluted sacrifices. Instead of bringing the best lambs, they brought the blind, the lame, and the sick. They gave God what they wouldn’t even dare give to a governor or a ruler.
God makes the point clear: if man wouldn’t accept it, how dare we think God should? That’s an insult to the King of kings.
God Deserves First
The Lord deserves to be first in our lives. He doesn’t want what’s left over. He deserves the first day of the week in His house. He deserves the first hours of the morning in prayer and Bible reading. He deserves the first portion of our income in tithes and offerings. He deserves the first place on our schedule.
Too often, people give their best energy to work, hobbies, or entertainment, then stumble into church half-hearted. That’s no different than Israel offering blind and sick sacrifices.
God Deserves Our Best
Not only does God deserve first, He deserves our best. Our best effort in serving. Our best energy in prayer. Our best attitude in worship. Our best when we give. Even our appearance should reflect that we’re standing before a holy God, not just showing up to any common event.
God deserves excellence because of who He is. He is not a governor or a boss, He is the Lord of hosts.
God Deserves Our Whole Heart
Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37). He doesn’t want a piece of us. He wants the whole thing. That means every area of our life should honor Him. We shouldn’t give Him scraps of time, effort, or love. He should have the first, the best, and the whole.
When we give man more honor than God, we show that our priorities are out of line. Malachi’s warning still rings today. God deserves better than our leftovers. He deserves our first, our best, and our whole heart.
