Don't Give God Your Leftovers

Give God Your Best Everyday

Alice Goslin

Do you have a favorite restaurant?  Maybe somewhere you like to go to when you have a date night with your husband or out with friends?  My son may say; “Chick-Fil-A”, yet my husband and I agree on the sushi place around the corner from our house.  During this pandemic we find ourselves maybe even craving for our favorite places or local establishments. Maybe it’s the mouth-watering burger or steak or even the obeyance of social hour we long for. As the Coronavirus spreads, our homes may feel like a restaurant. I know I find myself in the kitchen more than ever!

Even writing this blog, I’m thinking about what I will make for dinner? As I open the refrigerator, I find some leftovers and pan for the easy route. It’s heated up chicken from the previous night, add a salad and fruit and call it a night. Doesn’t sound really creative, does it? But, defiantly easy! Sometimes I will even get bored of making the same meal and hope for a new recipe. How many ways can you really make chicken? Apparently over a hundred! Ha.

In preparing for dinner I thought about the book of Malachi 1:6-14 where we find the Israelite’s bringing leftovers (defiled food) to the altar for worship. It was blind, lame and sick animals rather than giving the best of their flock to The Lord. Leviticus 22:17-25 Speaks of the offerings accepted and not accepted as befitting a holy God. The priests were to monitor these sacrifices. Yet, people saved the best for themselves and offered God the rejects. God in turn wishes that at least one priest would close the temple doors and say NO to this blatant disrespect.

12 “But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table. 13 You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord. 14 “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!

What the people didn’t realize is not that God needs anything as He is the source of everything, but the gifts (animal sacrifices) reflect what’s in our hearts. Do you ever find yourself going through the motions of worship and find your heart not in it? This is exactly how the Israelites felt. Luke 12:34 Says; “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. Is my prayer a motion or is my heart cheerful, open and honest to speak to Him? Do I dishonor God by my actions? Do I turn up my nose to my convictions? When we give less than our best to God, as the Israelites did, we in turn show our disrespect to Him or even a lack of trust in Him.

This passage in Malachi opened the refrigerator door of my heart. I had to look at my day and attitude toward my Heavenly Father. Am I bored of bringing Him honor and respect? Am I too busy with my day and giving Him my leftovers? What we give God reflects our true attitude toward Him.

DON’T GIVE GOD YOUR LEFTOVERS. Give God your Best each day and Be Blessed!

HOW?

1. REJOICE and RECITE. Wake up in the morning with the breath of LIFE & Rejoice!!!. Psalm 118:24 (NLT) This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Chew on a favorite verse. John 6:35 (NIV) Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

2. BUILD your RELATIONSHIP. The Lord wants to hear every detail of your life. PRAY. Talk to Him like a trusted friend HE IS. If He knows how much hair is on the top of your head (Matthew 10:30), He wants to know your heart! He desires to be in every part of your day. He sits at the table with you. Imagine Jesus sitting at your dinner table. What would you say?

3. ACTIONS speak volumes.

James 1:22 (ESV) says; But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. I thought about the priests who didn’t do anything, allowing the patterns of what profanes the Lord to continue or pretending that it is not a big deal. They didn’t respect God in turn deceiving themselves and setting bad pattern for others. We may set a bad pattern for others watching us. Every believer becomes a priest – someone who is showing others who God is. Let’s shine our brightest in our actions. As for the Israelites, they still expected Lord to be gracious to them and show them favor, yet they appeared to forget who HE is. Psalm 95:7 (NLT) for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to His voice today! Am I listening to the Voice of the Lord or am I bored/weary with my blessings? One minute we may be praying the next minute we may be cursing. God can take our privileges away from us. Lets shut the door to what profanes the name of The Lord and bring honor to the One who laid his life down to us.

4. God leaves the door wide open for our change of heart. Malachi 3:7b says; Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. Allow the scripture to read you and see the transformation that it brings!  May you be daily nourished by our Lord Jesus Christ and find Him marinating in your heart!