«And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor!» (Malachi 1:8).
IF, LIKE ME, you have ever listened to a graduation speech, you know what expressions the speaker usually uses to motivate students: «Dream big.» «Do not give up on your dreams.» «Sacrifice everything to achieve your dreams.»
It must have been very strange, then, to listen to Andy Nash, Adventist pastor and teacher, exhort a group of high school graduates to give up their dreams. The experience is recounted by him in his article «Give Up Your Dreams.» There, Nash explains that his advice is not that we have no aspirations, or that we do not strive to achieve them. Rather, it is that we do not allow these dreams to become so important in our lives that they occupy in our hearts the place that belongs only to God.
Toward the end of his speech, Nash asked the graduates to read chapter 1 of Malachi that night. Why Malachi? Because this first chapter speaks precisely of giving God the best: » ‘When you offer the blind as a sacrifice,’ » God says, » ‘is it not evil? . . . Offer it then to your governor!’ » (Malachi 1:8).
Instead of bringing to the altar of sacrifice the best, the people in Malachi’s time were giving God the worst. What neither priests nor people understood was that a sacrifice, by definition, «hurts»; that is, «it costs.» In Nash’s words, «it means that we are ‘letting go’ of what we want to hold on to, in order to place it in God’s hands.» But here comes the most interesting thing. It turns out that the priest consumed a share of what was sacrificed. What kind of meat did the priest eat when the animal he had offered was sick? Did he eat the best or the worst?
The lesson for us is that when we give God the best, He gives us back the best as well. When we give the Lord the best of our talents, resources, or dreams, in addition to honoring His name, we are allowing Him to burn our offering with the fire of His Holy Spirit, and give us back a portion, refined with His blessing. Let us not let the best we have separate us away from God, instead of drawing closer to Him!
What is your most cherished dream? This is Nash’s advice: Trust God with the best you have and then get ready to observe what He is capable of.
Dear heavenly Father, at this moment I give You my most cherished dreams. I want it to be You, and only You, who occupies the first place in my heart.
#AdultsDevotional
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
