"I am a Great King!"

Malachi 1:11 - ... a pure offering...

Malachi 1:14 - ... For I am a great King... 

Malachi 2:2 - If you will not hear and if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to My name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings...

"For I am a GREAT King!" Those words resounded in my head. The words rang off the page like a gong. "For I am a GREAT King!" Our Holy God.... our Great King... our Lord of Lords. Here in Malachi, we read about the people of Edom. We read about their offerings that they are giving to the Lord, the sacrifices that they are laying on the alter in a "supposed" act of worship. The offerings and gifts that they brought to the Lord were far from pleasing. Here we have this GREAT King and the people of Edom are bringing GIFTS of diseased animals, blind animals, lame animals. THESE are the gifts they are bringing to the GREAT KING! Gifts that certainly are not pleasing. Gifts that really shouldn't be called gifts at all. Who wants a diseased animal as a gift?!? I know I sure would not!

A pure offering. That jumped off at the page at me. For I am a great King. That jumped off the page. Here we have the Almighty God, the King of Kings, speaking. I can just imagine His baritone Voice ringing in the air. For I am a GREAT KING! I AM A GREAT KING! He is not just "a" great king, He is THE great King! He is the King of Kings! Here our God, whom at the sound or sight, we should immediately be in a place of reverence that we fall to our knees in honor and worship. The people of Edom were greatly displeasing to our Father.

In Malachi 2:2, we see the warning. If you will not lay to heart to give glory to my name. 'Lay to heart' -  one of the ways the Hebrew describes it, is to plant. Plant in your heart bringing glory to the Lord. PLANT in your heart the honor due is name. Plant. Allow it to go deep. Allow roots to take place. Allow roots to dig so deep that with your body & soul & heart, your automatic desire is to give GLORY TO HIS NAME. 


Malachi 2:2, goes on further to say the warnings if Edom does not do this... He will curse their blessings! Wow! Curse their blessings! Just because they have been blessed, doesn't mean the blessings will stay or remain. The Blessing is CONTINGENT! The Blessing of the Lord is contingent upon obeying the Word of God. Contingent upon honoring His Name. Contingent upon giving glory to His Name. Contingent upon our reverence, our honor, our obedience. Sure, our salvation may get us into heaven, but wouldn't it be better to live the Blessing on earth & not have to wait to enjoy the fruits in heaven?

Malachi has caused me to reflect... what offerings am I bringing? Am I bringing a pure offering? How is "my honor." Am I bringing honor to my Father? Am I reverencing His name? Am I planting in my heart the desire to give glory to His name? With my actions, am I following the calling that HE has on my life? Be it uncomfortable at times, be it even scary at times to enter into a place uncharted by me. Not uncharted by my Father, but a place I have yet been. Am I fully passionate and fully committed to answering the call of who I am meant to be? I am willing to push through the uncomfortable? Am I willing to DIG IN to the Word, DIG IN to the quiet time and seek His presence, SEEK answers, SEEK direction of where HE would have me go. Is it quiet enough that I can hear His Voice? Is it possible for me to turn off the noise of life just long enough to hear HIS Voice? His direction? Is the noise of facebook, pinterest, text, twitter, cell phone reminders, movies, the desire to 'decorate' my house, frivolous activities.... is the noise of ALL that TOO loud? Can I hear the Voice that resounds, "I AM A GREAT KING!" 


I can hear the echo of the deep baritone voice. In the Voice is strength and power, but it also has the sound of a longing. A longing to draw me in. A longing that says, "Please Come be with me. Please come fellowship. Please come sit at my feet so we can talk."


Can I hear the echo?
"I AM A GREAT KING!" 
"I AM A GREAT KING!" 
"I AM A GREAT KING!" 




Do I need to eliminate noise?