Malachi Chapter Three Bible Study

We are in our third consecutive month of weekly Bible studies. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have. Ruth was exciting to watch the love story unfold between Ruth and Boaz, as we watch the hand of God provide for Ruth and Naomi, as they face hardship, grief, and loss. First John was a great book to study on the heels of Ruth because First John was all about demonstrating God as love, light, and life. We were warned about sin, discord, and idolatry. I enjoyed seeing the multi-facets of God's love, grace, mercy, and goodness.

This month, I want to study the book of Malachi. This is the very last book in the Old Testament. Once God stops speaking four short chapters later, He is silent for 400 years! I want to dig into God's Word and find out what God wanted to say in the final chapters of the Old Testament, gain insight on what made God stop talking to His people, and hopefully gain a better understanding of the scriptures. Whether you do this study alone, or with a small group, please let me know in the comments below, or via email if this is something you enjoy on my blog. If you have a particular request of a book or topic to study, please let me know and I will prayerfully consider including it.

As with other studies, I like to include the introduction my Bible has for the book we are studying. Here is the introduction to The Book of Malachi:

MALACHI, a prophet in the days of Nehemiah, directs his message of judgment to a people plagued with corrupt priests, wicked practices, and a false sense of security in their privileged relationship with God. Using the question-and-answer method, Malachi probes deeply into their problems of hypocrisy, infidelity, mixed marriages, divorce, false worship, and arrogance. So sinful has the the nation become that God's words to the people no longer have any impact. For four hundred years after Malachi's ringing condemnation s, God remains silent. Only with the coming of John the Baptists (prophesied in 3:1) does God again communicate to His people through a prophet's voice.

The meaning of the name Mal'aki ("My Messenger") is probably a shortened form of Mal'akya, "Messenger of Yahweh," and it is appropriate to the book which speaks of the coming of the "messenger of the covenant" )"messenger is mentioned three times in 2:7; 3:1). The Septuagint used the title Malachias even though it also translated it "by the hand of the messenger." The Latin title is Maleachi.

Read through the third chapter of Malachi. It is only 18 verses. Grab a notebook or journal, pen or pencil, and keep your Bible open as we break the bread together. I will be asking questions throughout today's study. Record your answers in your book. If you are participating in this study with friends or a small group, use the questions for talking points. The purpose of this study is to dig deeper into the Word of God and to apply the lessons to our own lives. Feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Let's begin!

Verses 1-6 The Messenger of the Covenant
Malachi begins the third chapter of this short book introducing the one who would prepare the way before the LORD. We know the one who prepared the way is John the Baptist. Let's read the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 11:10-15.

MATTHEW 11:10-15

10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send a messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The Old Testament prophet, Malachi, the last to contribute to that great section of the Bible, has proclaimed the day when the messenger would come and prepare the way before Jesus. This happened. This is prophesy fulfilled a few pages over in Matthew. Jesus, Himself, declares it to be. The messenger was to herald the ministry of the Messiah.

In verses two and three, it talks about the refiner's fire and the fullers' soap to refine and purify. There needed to be a refining process. There had to be some cleaning up and purification take place before they could offer an offering to the LORD in righteousness. Then, verse four says, the offering will be pleasant unto the LORD, like in the old days and former time. It will be the way He said it should be.

Verse five spells out the things God's judgment is coming against. The book of Nehemiah mirrors this sentiment. Often God would put forth His commands, the children of Israel would disobey and harden their hearts, punishment would come, then the same command would come forth, and after much hardship and tribulation, they would soften their hearts to obey. Why not just obey the first time? Let's compare Nehemiah to Malachi in verse five.

• Perversion of the priesthood. Malachi 1:6 through Malachi 2:9
• Perversion of the priesthood. Nehemiah 13:4-9
• Mixed marriages. Malachi 2:11-16
• Mixed marriages. Nehemiah 13:23-27
• Problems in society. Malachi 3:5
• Problems in society. Nehemiah 5:1-13
• Disobedience of principles governing giving. Malachi 3:8-11
• Disobedience of principles governing giving. Nehemiah 13:10-14

Verse six sums it all up. God does not change. He does not say one thing and do another. He does not set a standard and then lower it if we do not meet it. He does not change! He says what He means and He means what He says. God is full of love and mercy and that is why the sons of Jacob are not consumed. Their existence rested upon the covenant promises of the unchangeable God.

Questions: Aren't you glad God does not change? Aren't you glad our sins were forgiven and we did not have to pay the penalty? What does it mean to you that God does not change? How is that a comfort to you? In a world of changes, how can God remain the same? Do we see some of the same problems listed in verse four in our world today? How so? What do you struggle with from that list?

Verses 7-18 Robbing God of His Offerings
In verse seven, God said that they had strayed away from His laws since the time their fathers were alive. This was a continual, habitual behavior of not obeying God's laws. Return to Me, said God, and I will return to you. That sounds like a beautiful promise. Their response was How shall we return? God tells them exactly how they can return to Him and it is by doing what He told them to do in the first place!

Verses eight through twelve are God's explanation of what exactly they were doing wrong and He throws down a challenge for them to prove Him, if He won't bless them so much they cannot even imagine if they would obey His Word. He had already provided specific directions about how to handle the tithes and offerings. 

Numbers 18:21-24

21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 
24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

The tithes were animals and produce and were used to support the Levites and their families who were the ministers under the covenant. They were robbing God because the tithes they were bringing were of such poor quality it reflected a poor attitude on their behalf. By robbing God they were actually robbing themselves. 

In verses 10-12, God tells them to prove Him because they questioned His integrity and character. If they would go back to the original ordinance and follow it exactly the way it was written they would experience the blessing in their obedience. He would restore their crops, bless the work of their hands, cause other nations to observe the favor of God over their nation, and they would please God. 

In verses 13-15, God's people had come to believe that the wicked and proud were blessed and excelled and even were exempt from God's punishment they no longer saw the value in serving God. 

God always has a remnant, we see in verse 16 there were people who feared the Lord and listened to Malachi's warning. God was not far away and distant but we see from this verse that He was so close He overheard them talking and kept a book of remembrance for them that thought upon His name. In verse 17 God declared these people his special jewels.

The chapter ends by telling them there is a difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and don't. It may not always be clear that the wicked are going to be punished and the righteous will be blessed but we cannot look at things the way they are perceived in the natural. 

Questions: Based on what we've learned today, do you think this passage is a requirement to tithe today? Do you give a tithe to God, why or why not? Do you see similarities in our society and churches today where we are calling evil good and good evil? What do you think the solution is to getting back to holiness? What can you do personally? 

"We cannot expect the Church to exhibit more godliness than its leaders."

-Mary Lou Whitlock

I know this was a lot to think about but I feel like it's important to dig deep into these few short chapters to understand the meaning behind 400 years of silence from God. May we have open hearts and open minds as we dive into the word together. Next week, we will finish the book of Malachi and it is my prayer that we will all have a richer understanding of what God expects from each of us. May something shared today be strength for your journey and light for your way.

God bless you! 

~Bridgett Owens

Reminisce | Fuel for the Weekend

God has been telling me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. I wanted to do it. I thought about it. I tried to come up with ideas on my own, but I just came up short, so I put the idea toward the back of my mind, but the Holy Spirit continued to nudge me in this direction. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

Have you ever planned on things to happen in a certain way, and when you get down the road a little bit, you start to see the plan unraveling? That is sort of how my life is right now. I had imagined that my husband and I would be in a much different season of life by now. Our children are growing up so fast, and Kadesia turns 18 next month. I really thought our lives would be so different. My life now is nothing I ever imagined or asked for, and yet I am living it as I ask God to direct my steps, so I know this is His plan for my life. I just don't always understand everything.

Once I gave my heart to Christ, I did my best to live in a way that would please Him. I was so thankful for everything He had done for me, saved me from, and brought me through. I just wanted to honor God with my life and even though I failed so many times, I kept trying, and God's grace kept covering me. He helped me grow in my faith, in my spiritual being, and in all areas of my life. He never gave up on me.

I have a really big project that I am working on. I had always wanted to have a lot of scrapbooks for Kadesia at her graduation party, so she could reminisce about different milestones, events, and situations that occurred through the years. I started scrapbooking when Paul and I were dating and that has been 19 years ago now. I taught a lot of scrapbooking and faithbooking classes and have helped so many people complete their albums. I used to go with the same two friends to a scrapbooking retreat every year and I loved it. We had the best time and I got a lot of layouts completed over the course of those few days.

As I look at the calendar, it's mid-November, and my daughter graduates in early May. I do not have a lot of time. I have pictures in three big Rubbermaid totes, pictures on discs, pictures on my computer, pictures on my phone, pictures on flash drives, an external hard drive, and ..... you get the idea! So how can I accomplish such a big goal in such a short time? I have a plan!

The first thing I thought I would do is go through all of my planners. I have a large stack of planners and they are every size and color you can think of. I have color-coded some, decorated some with washi and stickers, used kits on some...just had a fun time with it. The problem is that each of those planners represents one year, so I have a lot to go through. I love to journal in my scrapbooks so when I am gone or not around to explain who the people are in the photos, my children can enjoy the pictures and remember the stories. So I am going through these planners and journals to write down important things I want to remember and capture in my scrapbook journaling.

I told you that this is a big project!! So, I started with a journal and a few planners. I started writing in a brand new notebook. It was so neat to remember things that I had truly forgotten about. I am so glad I kept notes about some of the little moments because they are precious. I read it and I am transported back in time to that moment and it is neat to relive it. This part of the process is probably going to take the longest time, but I want to do it because I desire to preserve those memories.

This post is not going to be how I break down each step of the scrapbooking process. I can do that for anyone interested another day, but for now I want to just encourage you to look back! Look back on your life. Do you have an old journal or calendar? If not, do you have a friend or family member you can talk about old times with? It's fun! I know we should not look back at the past in a way to want to live there, go back to old behaviors, or relive bad memories, but it is nice and therapeutic to have a really nice memory to visit again.

The biggest take-away from today's post, is that it is good to plan for the future. It is wise to look ahead and be prepared for what might come up. The Bible tells us to watch the ants store up, without anyone telling them to do it, making sure they do it, or watching over them as they do it.

Proverbs 6:6-8

6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7 Which having no guide, overseer or ruler,

8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

God knows that we plan our life according to the season we are in. We may think we will do certain things, have a specific amount of money to retire on, travel to various locations, but if it is not going to fulfill God's perfect plan for your life, you may find your plans are derailed!

Proverbs 16:9

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

You may wonder what good it is to plan ahead. We have to look at the scripture from a different angle. It isn't that planning ahead is bad, but whose will are we seeking? Are we planning things we want to do for our own pleasure and happiness, or are we truly making plans that glorify God in everything we do? Remember last week's scripture?

You see, God knows the end from the beginning. Our lives are such a short dot on the span of time that it's all we know. God sees way behind us, all our forefathers and the things they have done and not done to further the Kingdom of God. God sees far beyond us, long after we are gone and no one knows our names. He has a plan for the short time we occupy the planet. I have some good ideas, but to be honest, when some of the plans didn't turn out how I hoped, it's not been that bad, and sometimes it was a really good thing my plans failed. Other plans, I still don't understand, but I trust Him, so I know it will be okay. We just need to seek Him to find out His perfect will for us and live like He says to live.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

12 Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you.

13 And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.

I won't tell you that once you find out God's plan for your life that everything is perfect and you never have any fears, doubts, or trouble. I am telling you life will still be hard, life will still be unfair, and life will still be peppered with trouble and hardships, but knowing you are in the capable hands of the Master that orders your steps, will give you a peace that passes all understanding. You won't be able to explain it. You will just look ahead and say, "God I don't see it, but I am so glad You can! Lead me and I will follow. I trust You!"

I hope this weekend, you will take some time to reflect on past good times. It seems to help me, especially in the times things don't always line up to my way of thinking, or when I just simply do not understand what God is doing in the moment. Look back and remind yourself of all the times He has come through before and remember if He did it before, He'll do it again!

May you find strength for your journey and light for your way this weekend! God bless you, friends!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 92 | Thankful Thursday

Welcome to my Thankful Thursday blog post! The LORD was impressing on my heart to carve out a section on my blog to share what I am thankful for. I am calling this my Thankful Thursday blog posts. I think it is fitting, since here in the USA we celebrate Thanksgiving this month. I will continue to share what I am thankful for, each week, so be sure to come back to my blog and we can count our blessings together.

The Bible says it is a good thing to thank God and to praise Him for all the wonderful things He has done for us. He is so loving and kind to us each morning, waking us up, clothing us in our right mind, and keeping His hand of protection on us throughout the day. He provides all of our needs and orders our steps, leads and guides us, gives us ideas and hopes and goals. Each night He is so faithful to send angels to guard us as we sleep and to watch over us as we rest. Has God made you glad through the work He is doing in your life? He sure has made me glad!

PSALM 92:1-4

1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High:

2 To shew forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night,

3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.

4 For Thou, LORD, hast made me glad through Thy work: I will triumph in the works of Thy hands.

In January this year, God told me in my prayer and fasting time that He was sending my family and me to live in Mobile, Alabama. I did not want to go. I did not want to move to Alabama, a place I had never gone before, where I knew no one, and where I would not even begin to know how to find a job, a place to live, or schools for my children. I was honest with God and I told Him that I wanted to obey Him but my heart was not in it. He did not give up on me. He kept working on my heart and helped me through seven fasts to see that moving was His plan for us.

I had the 2019-2020 school year planned out for my children. We were going to spend the end of July decorating school lockers, teaching Javan his locker combination, and orienting him to a new school layout. I was so excited for him to start sixth grade in the same junior high school that I went to, and Kadesia went to. I was excited to see if he would be interested in band or maybe sports. He was hoping to try out for the basketball team and he loved playing baseball in the summer. None of that happened. My plans, hopes, and dreams were shattered and I truly mourned this. Javan was excited about starting a new adventure in Alabama. He said he would miss his friends and grandparents but he was excited to be near the ocean.

My baby girl, Kadesia Shae, would be a senior. We have had a graduation party Pinterest board for years! We had great plans for senior photo opportunities, college ideas, and just all the fun milestones that are so bittersweet. She was class president in her junior year. She had lots of friends. She was a leader in Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She was active in her school throughout various clubs and organizations and after school events. She was liked by her teachers and the faculty at her school. I could not wait to see what the year held for us, but as the months went by, and with the prayers and fasting my heart softened and I was able to say yes to the Lord and goodbye to the hopes and dreams I had for my baby girl's last year of high school. I truly mourned this. Kadesia was excited for a fresh start, a chance to make new friends, and the chance to finally have a birthday where it wouldn't be a winter wonderland. She was excited for the future God was waving in front of her and though she knew she would miss her friends and family, our church family, and the teachers she had grown to admire and respect, she was excited about the future.

I knew what I would be missing. I would miss my Moms In Prayer friends. I would miss my children that I taught in Children's Church. I would miss my friends at church who prayed with me and cried with me when they learned that we were moving. I knew I would miss my mom and my family that lives in Indiana. I knew I would miss my job, the fall weather, and the things that I had in my head could be possible.

You know what I miss? I miss my prayer circle, but God gave me a church full of praying people who love me and lift me up. I miss my friends from Moms In Prayer, but God gave me a wonderful friend, Fran, who is over the Mobile area MIP group. I miss my mom, but we talk several times a week, share pictures and texts, and she sends us letters often. I missed the fall weather, but we had some nice fall temperature days here in Mobile and I was content. I miss my job, but God showed me I can still care for people right where I am and my biggest priority in this moment is caring for my husband and our children.

You want to know what I gained? I gained a wonderful home that we can spend time as a family in. No rushing out the door and living in our cars more than at home. No being too busy for conversation and checking in. I gained a new understanding of His plan for my life and the life of my family. I gained more empathy for the homeless population and the troubled youth. I gained a new church family with children I love and adore, who sit in my lap, play with my hair, write me little notes, and rummage through my things. I gained new friends in different races than me and it is a beautiful thing. I am richer for these friendships. I have gained more trust and faith as I walk this journey NOT by sight, but definitely by faith. Sometimes I have to crawl, but He is increasing my faith. I gained more time one-on-one with my husband, sharing in conversation, sight-seeing, exploring, and just hanging out. We still like each other after all these years!!! I have gained more table time with the family as we cook at home and not eat in restaurants. We sit and have a meal together and share where we have seen God that day. I have gained more knowledge of God as I blog more now than I ever have. I gained an opportunity to speak at a Breakthrough service, which I had not done in Indiana in years!

I miss a few things about Indiana, but I never want to go back to live there. I truly cannot imagine living anywhere else on earth. I love the ocean. I love the weather. I love the people. I love how big it is and how small it can be at times. I love how people are so friendly and quick to share. I love that I can ask questions and folks are eager to teach me about their life, their culture, and their way of doing things so I can better understand them. I love that even though I am different on the outside than most people around me, it does not stop some of them from being helpful and loving.

I am thankful for so many things. I thank God that He is continuing to meet our needs even though we have not had jobs since we moved here. I thank God for all the job opportunities that are coming at me this week. I thank God to be licensed as a nurse in Indiana and Alabama. I thank God for being with us, helping us, providing, protecting, promising, hearing and answer our prayers, and never leaving us on our own.

What about you? What are you thankful for?

~Bridgett Owens

Malachi Chapter Two Bible Study

We are in our third consecutive month of weekly Bible studies. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have. Ruth was exciting to watch the love story unfold between Ruth and Boaz, as we watched the hand of God provide for Ruth and Naomi when they faced hardship, grief, and loss. First John was a great book to study on the heels of Ruth because First John was all about demonstrating God as love, light, and life. We were warned about sin, discord, and idolatry. I enjoyed seeing the multi-facets of God's love, grace, mercy, and goodness.

This month, I want to study the book of Malachi. This is the very last book in the Old Testament. Once God stops speaking four short chapters later, He is silent for 400 years! I want to dig into God's Word and find out what God wanted to say in the final chapters of the Old Testament, gain insight on what made God stop talking to His people, and hopefully gain a better understanding of the scriptures. Whether you do this study alone, or with a small group, please let me know in the comments below, or via email if this is something you enjoy on my blog. If you have a particular request of a book or topic to study, please let me know and I will prayerfully consider including it.

As with other studies, I like to include the introduction my Bible has for the book we are studying. Here is the introduction to The Book of Malachi:

MALACHI, a prophet in the days of Nehemiah, directs his message of judgment to a people plagued with corrupt priests, wicked practices, and a false sense of security in their privileged relationship with God. Using the question-and-answer method, Malachi probes deeply into their problems of hypocrisy, infidelity, mixed marriages, divorce, false worship, and arrogance. So sinful has the the nation become that God's words to the people no longer have any impact. For four hundred years after Malachi's ringing condemnations, God remains silent. Only with the coming of John the Baptists (prophesied in 3:1) does God again communicate to His people through a prophet's voice.

The meaning of the name Mal'aki ("My Messenger") is probably a shortened form of Mal'akya, "Messenger of Yahweh," and it is appropriate to the book which speaks of the coming of the "messenger of the covenant" )"messenger is mentioned three times in 2:7; 3:1). The Septuagint used the title Malachias even though it also translated it "by the hand of the messenger." The Latin title is Maleachi.

Read through the second chapter of Malachi. It is only 17 verses. Grab a notebook or journal, pen or pencil, and keep your Bible open as we break the bread together. I will be asking questions throughout today's study. Record your answers in your book. If you are participating in this study with friends or a small group, use the questions for talking points. The purpose of this study is to dig deeper into the Word of God and to apply the lessons to our own lives. Feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Verses 1-7 The Punishment of the Priests
Malachi begins chapter two addressing the priests. The priests were supposed to be the example for the people, leaders of Holiness unto the LORD, and to demonstrate the way the people were to live in order to please God. They were not doing this. The priests' hearts were far from God, so how could the people learn to have a relationship with God if the priests are not living that out?

God gives the priests a choice. He tells them if they will not obey Him and take to heart the warning He is giving them, He is going to curse them. He even said they are already cursed because they refuse to do what He has asked of them. God says in verse seven, "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts." The priests were clearly not doing this and God is angry. He is warning them of what will happen if they continue to err.

Questions: Do you think God is being unfair to the priests by cursing them? Does that seem too harsh? Is it harsh enough? Why do you think the priests are only going through the ritualistic motions and not putting their heart into their work? Why even sacrifice to God if they are not going to sacrifice according to the Law?

Verses 8-9 The Corruption of the Priests
God says the priests have departed out of the way. They are not walking in Holiness. They have strayed away from the right path. The statement God makes next is scary to me. He says they have caused many people to stumble at the law. I never want to be the cause of someone compromising or being misled by something I do or say. What a horrible image to picture all those people who follow after the priests' manner of doing things, thinking they are in right standing with God, and yet they are breaking God's law and His heart.

Instead of exalting the priests, the way God wants to for those who walk upright, He has caused them to become common. They are not keeping God's ways. They have only been performing sacrifices in part. The corruption of the priests is being called out by God through the prophet Malachi. He is telling the priests that the show is over. Now it is time for judgment to begin because they are not following God's rules or acting in a way that would please Him.

Questions: What would you do or say if God told you that you had caused many people to stumble in their walk with Him because of things you were doing? What changes, if any, would you make? What do you think the priests will do in response to this message? Have you thought of the impact your actions can have on others watching you? 

Verses 10-16 Judah's Treacherous Dealings
To get a proper perspective, we must understand that God made a covenant with His people, and God kept His part of the covenant. He fulfilled His promises. He did what He said. The priests have broken the covenant. There are mixed marriages which is prohibited in the Mosaic Law. Divorce was a problem in Israel that God hated. In verse eleven, the Bible says, "Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the Holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god."

Mixed marriages were prohibited because it mingled idol worship with God's people who were commanded to have no other gods before Him. God is the true God. He is all they need and they do not need to worship a false god, an idol. God's rules were for a reason, not just to be exclusive. There were major implications by introducing idolatry to His people. Foreigners could join the nation of Israel if they would forsake their idolatry and worship God alone, much like Ruth did when she came out of Moab and followed Naomi to Bethlehem.

Ruth 1:16, 17

16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people will be my people, and thy God my God:

17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

In verse twelve, we see that God makes no exceptions for breaking this rule. The LORD said He will cut off the person who does this whether they have education and influence, or they are just an observant follower, God will not tolerate this disobience.

The next verse God said they cover the altar with tears and crying but God is not moved by their tears or crying out. He knows what is really going on. He sees the hidden things that no one thinks He knows anything about. They think they outsmarted God and have kept their sinful acts from God, but He is all seeing and all knowing and all powerful. He knows what has been going on and He is angry.

In verse sixteen, God says He hates divorce. It tears up families. It destroys the union that He has blessed. It destroys the work He has created in forming a bond between a man and his wife to raise a family according to the will of God. He warns them to pay attention and take heed that they do not do this thing.

Questions: Do you have hidden sin that you have not confessed to God? Are you hoping that He hasn't found out about something in your life that you don't want to stop doing? Are you harboring unforgiveness in your heart to someone who caused you pain? Why do you think God cares if His chosen people marry someone who worships idols? Why was mixed marriages and/or divorce so detestable to God?

Verse 17 Wearied With Words

The last verse of chapter two says this:

Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied Him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of Judgment?

The LORD God is tired of the priests words. They wonder when they wearied God and by what words does He get tired of hearing. The culture in those days is much like America today. They are saying that the individuals that are doing evil are good in God's eyes. This is against the very word of the LORD. They also ask where the God of judgment is. They claim that God is unjust. They are so blind to the truth because their hearts have been hardened by the lies they believe. The people have drifted so far away from God and His Truth that they are morally confused.

In times like these, so much of our culture is confused and morally decayed. The truth is hard to find and underappreciated. The pastors and teachers of our day find it easier to share a feel-good sermon than an undiluted message from the passages of God's Holy Word. We should not call evil good. We need to call sin what it is: SIN. It separates us from God.

God is weary of hearing that He is unjust. He is a just and Holy God. He is a righteous judge. He is not corrupt. He is longsuffering so He does not immediately make us pay for our sins. He gives us a chance to deal with the sin in our lives and ask Him to remove it. He loves us so much that He wants us to be clean and Holy, not to die in our sinful state. He loves us too much to want us to go to hell. He has sent His messengers to tell the people the truth, and time and time again the people of God rebel and do what they want. They constantly disobey His commands and ignore His call for them to repent and turn back to Him.

Questions: What similarities do you see in the times of the corrupt priests and in today's times? What do you think God will do if the world continues the pattern of disobeying God's Word and doing whatever makes them happy? How would you feel if you were in the priests' situation and God said the words you spoke have wearied Him? Would you want to change and stop sinning? Why do you think the world does not want to hear God's opinion on sin? What changes do you think the church needs to make to become more Holy unto the LORD?

Friends, that is the second chapter of the book of Malachi. It was not a lengthy study, but definitely a deep study. The important thing to remember is who is being addressed and why, but realize we are still seeing similar patterns today. We are still seeing those in authority and leaders or influencers professing to be Godly leaders and yet so much corrupt behavior abounds. Many water down the message of God to gain appeal and popularity, but leave out the crucial information that sin is wrong and leads to eternal separation from God if not dealt with.

I hope that you will reflect on this week's Bible study and check your heart against the message found in God's Word. Let's look at ourselves in the mirror of the text to see how we measure up, and where we fall short. We are all striving to make it, and no one is perfect. With the help of God, we will all make it Home. Don't give up and do not let your heart grow hard and cold.

Thanks, again for joining me. I will share the things I am thankful for on tomorrow's post, and we will kick off the weekend with another Fuel for the Weekend blog post on intentional living. Invite a friend to check out my blog and feel free to leave a comment, question, or request.

May something shared today be strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Intentional | Fuel For The Weekend

God has been telling me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. I wanted to do it. I thought about it. I tried to come up with ideas on my own, but I just came up short, so I put the idea toward the back of my mind, but the Holy Spirit continued to nudge me in this direction.

So I prayed about it. I asked God what He was wanting me to share. What did it mean to post fuel for the weekend? What was the topics He wanted me to cover? In my spirit, I heard the word "intentional." So I looked up the definition of intentional. I know my definition but I thought I would look up an official definition to see what it said and a quick google search defined intentional as "done on purpose, deliberate."

My husband and I started brainstorming. I mean, I could talk about intentional parenting, intentional use of time, intentional management of money, or intentional time spent with God. So Paul found something online that spoke to him and he shared it with me in hopes I would get some ideas on what direction to go in. He read a scripture and I immediately knew that I had to share this scripture and I knew exactly what to share today. Let's look at the text first.

1 Corinthians 10:31

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

This scripture could be the power verse for the word intentional. Whatever you do, do it all for God's glory. The words we speak, the thoughts we think, the books we read, the time we spend, the things we watch, the music we hear, the food we eat, the beverages we consume, let it all be intentional in honoring God.

This post is going up on Friday and it is my desire that what I share today will get you through the weekend. Maybe this post will help you and me deliberately live out our faith in such a way that everything we do honors God. Instead of waiting to see what happens this weekend, and hopefully we will give God some of our time, why not do it on purpose? Intentionally seek out things that will glorify God. If you have been meaning to send out note cards to people you care about, spend a few minutes and just do it. Have you wanted to go visit a friend or loved one, but you just can't seem to work out the schedules and you kind of put it off another week? Why not go this weekend? Have you wanted to ask someone to go to church, or introduce them to Christ, but you don't want to seem pushy or offensive? Ask them for coffee, or grab some lunch, or meet at the park and take a walk. Make it happen!

The truth is time marches on and does not wait for anyone. We are all given the same 24 hours in the day. We all have to sleep a certain number of hours, we spend some time doing necessary things like going to work or school, or spending time being responsible, and then we all have a certain amount of free time. We may use it on social media, mindless channel-surfing, binge-watching movies, shopping, or something else, but could we just carve out some time to do something for God; something that has eternal consequences?

On December 29, 2013, my daughter had been 12 for two days, and this was the day of her birthday party to be celebrated with family. We went to my dad's music studio that had been converted into a makeshift church and we sang to God, prayed, and did all the church things like we did each week. We were in prayer for my dad who was too sick to walk the short distance to the building from the house. The stage 4 colon cancer had spread throughout his whole body and the doctor did not give him any hope. We hurried up to the house where we were going to eat and celebrate my beautiful daughter. What a gift she is! My dad and I had prayed that God would open my womb and He blessed me with two beautiful children.

On that particular day in December, after the celebration, we all said goodbyes and kissed and hugged my dad. My sister, my brother-in-law, and my niece had left right around the time that my husband, our son, and I left. My nephew and my daughter stayed to spend some extra time with their uncle, their Nana, and Papaw Huey. My dad never told people "bye" because he always said it sounded so final. He would always say "see ya later!" That day he hugged and kissed us and we said we loved each other and when we said "bye," no one caught it at the time, but my dad said, "Bye!" to my sister and her family and to me and mine.

A few short hours later I got a call on my cell phone from the birthday girl! She was crying and sobbing and said, "Mom! Papaw's not breathing!" I immediately sat forward in the truck. We were on our way to pick her up anyway, but now we had to get there quick! 

"What do you mean he's not breathing? Is it hard for him to get air again?" He had just had 2 Liters of fluid taken from his lungs. I thought he was having trouble moving air.

"I don't know Mom. I think he's gone!"

"Nooooooooooooooooooo! Nooooooooooo! He can't be! I'm not ready! Are you sure?"

I called an ambulance, hoping she was wrong, hoping that he just needed another trip to the hospital to get it all taken care of. I knew in my soul that he was gone though and I did not like that feeling at all. I burst into tears and my son started crying. Paul got us safely to my mom and dad's though I felt like we were driving as slow as a snail. I hurried inside. There was my precious daddy, leaned back in the recliner, still warm, and I prayed he would still be alive. I was so sad. I cannot describe to you the grief that I felt as I took my daddy in my arms for the last time and cried on his chest like I had a thousand times before as a child, and this time I said, "Noooo! Please God! I wasn't ready!"

After Dad's funeral, I had to go back to the university where I was studying to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. I cannot count the times I picked up the phone to call my dad and tell him something, and then I remembered I could not do that anymore. I would drive by a restaurant he liked and I would think about getting him something to eat, and then I remembered I could not do that anymore. I would hear a song on the radio that I knew he would like, and I would start to remind myself to tell him about it when I saw him next, but then I remembered I could not do that anymore. I would walk to the bedroom when I walked into their house, to greet my daddy, but then in the kitchen just before I walked through the door of his room, I remembered I could not do that anymore.

Friends, life is short! The Bible says in James 4:14, Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. I don't care if you are 60 years old like my sweet daddy, or 16 years old like my sweet cousin who was killed in a drunk driving accident, life is short. Death is certain. Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. 

Do not think you have a lot of time left to do the things you want, because even if you survive another day, week, or year; your loved ones might not. Don't think you can always get that recipe from your grandmother, or you can always tell your mom you're sorry, or you'll have more time to forgive that person that hurt you. Your friend might not be here tomorrow. What difference can it make if you visit that person in the nursing home, or in jail, or in the hospital? Maybe it won't seem like a big deal to you, just a few minutes of your time, but it can mean so much to the person you are spending that time on.

Time is a precious commodity. Don't waste it, friends. Let's be intentional this weekend about listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Who can you encourage? What is the best way you can spend your time? Do that thing you keep putting off until you get more time. The time is now! Be mindful of the time you are given and use it wisely, before it runs out! I want to give you strength for your journey and light for your way this weekend!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 100 | Thankful Thursday

Welcome to my Thankful Thursday blog post! The LORD was impressing on my heart to carve out a section on my blog to share what I am thankful for. I have started it today and will call this my Thankful Thursday blog posts. I think it is fitting, since here in the USA we celebrate Thanksgiving this month. I will continue to share what I am thankful for, each week, so be sure to come back to my blog and we can count our blessings together.

As I was thinking of what I would like to start off thanking God for, my mind immediately went to Psalm 100. When I was growing up in the church we would actually sing this psalm. It is a great song! Let's read it together.

PSALM 100

1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.

5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.

I have so much to thank God for. I have been blessed beyond measure. I cannot count all the times He has healed my body, touched my mind, got me back on the right path, and forgiven me for so many mistakes. He is long-suffering and He loves me with an everlasting love. I could stop right there and just praise Him for years for that much! But there is so many hardships, difficulties, challenges, setbacks, disappointments, and tough times He has brought me through. I just cannot thank Him enough.

The Psalmist says to make a joyful noise to the LORD. Everyone is supposed to do this. God is worthy of our praise and if we are thanking Him, then it is a joyful noise! It says to serve the LORD with gladness. It should be our privilege and our joy to serve God. We are to come into His presence with singing. We should have a praise on our lips at all time as we magnify His great name! The LORD is God! He made us. We did not create ourselves. We belong to Him. He is the Good Shepherd and we are His sheep. We are in His care in His pasture. So when we see that He is taking care of us and helping us, blessing us, and giving us His favor, we should enter His gates with a thankful heart. We need to enter His courts with our hands lifted and voices praising the great God of our salvation. We must be thankful and bless His name. Why? Because He is good. Her mercy has no end. It will never run dry. It will never cease to be. His mercy is everlasting. That's not all, though. His truth keeps going through each and every generation. It is not tarnished. It does not fade. It does not change. It is consistent and good.

I thank God for the memories of singing that little psalm in church. My family is musically inclined and my uncles, cousins, grandparents, parents, brother, sisters, and aunts would get together, playing and singing. It was such a fun song and we would rejoice in the great things God was doing for us. We sang it straight out of the Bible so I had memorized it long ago. It's just a great song to remember we must be thankful and it perfectly lays out the way in which we are to approach God.

We are God's children. He delights in us and sings over us. He has written our names in the palms of His hands. He sent Jesus, His only begotten Son to die for us so that we could have eternal fellowship with Him. What a wonderful, loving, merciful, gracious God we serve. He is worthy of all the praise.

Last month, I confess that I worried more than I should. I questioned God about why He was not answering our prayers as quickly as we thought He should. He met all of our needs last month. We did not go hungry. All of our bills were paid. We have a great place to live. We had lots of family time to spend together. He remained faithful, even though I let my eyes drift away from the Master and onto the raging sea around me. I began to be swept away with the current as I looked at how big the waves were and how deep the sea was. I forgot to look at how big my God is!

This month, I am doing better. I refuse to let my eyes focus on anything other than the Savior. I know God is doing great things for us. He has blessed us so much. I made a new friend and she prayed with me and encouraged me and it was such a wonderful gift from the LORD. We have delicious food to eat. We have a refrigerator that is working and it holds our foods and keeps it cold. We were without a refrigerator for a month and had to use a cooler with ice and a deep freeze. (Not fun, but we managed.) We're thankful for home cooked meals that can be refrigerated and warmed up again.

This month I refuse to worry about the bills. My husband and I have been looking for jobs since we moved to Alabama, August 1, and we have no jobs still, but I know the bills will be paid for again this month, because God is faithful and the money just comes! God truly supplies our every need! I am so very thankful that God allowed me to get everything done and paid for so my endorsement for my nursing license could come through, and it happened quicker than I was expecting, and cheaper! That is God's favor!

This month, I am counting my blessings and I am rejoicing in the big and small things. I am accepting victory over our circumstances. I know God has a big plan and a big purpose for bringing us to Mobile, Alabama, even if we do not see it now. I have seen the hand of God over us and on us and all around us ever since we moved here.

This month I am going to be thankful for the things I have and grateful for the God I serve. He is my Jehovah Jireh, God my provider. He is my Jehovah Rapha, God my healer. He is the Great I Am. He is with me. He is for me. He is not against me. He has great plans for me. He is in control. He is writing my story and this month I am leaving the pen in His hand. It's already a much better month and it's only been one week. 

What are some of the things you are thankful for? I am sure I will have no trouble finding more to thank God for next week. May God continue to bless you and keep you!

~Bridgett Owens

Malachi Chapter One Bible Study

We are in our third consecutive month of weekly Bible studies. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have. Ruth was exciting to watch the love story unfold between Ruth and Boaz, we watched the hand of God provide for Ruth and Naomi, as they faced hardship, grief, and loss. First John was a great book to study on the heels of Ruth because First John was all about demonstrating God as love, light, and life. We were warned about sin, discord, and idolatry. I enjoyed seeing the multi-facets of God's love, grace, mercy, and goodness.

This month, I want to study the book of Malachi. This is the very last book in the Old Testament. Once God stops speaking four short chapters later, He is silent for 400 years! I want to dig into God's Word and find out what God wanted to say in the final chapters of the Old Testament, gain insight on what made God stop talking to His people, and hopefully gain a better understanding of the scriptures. Whether you do this study alone, or with a small group, please let me know in the comments below, or via email if this is something you enjoy on my blog. If you have a particular request of a book or topic to study, please let me know and I will prayerfully consider including it.

As with other studies, I like to include the introduction my Bible has for the book we are studying. Here is the introduction to The Book of Malachi:

MALACHI, a prophet in the days of Nehemiah, directs his message of judgment to a people plagued with corrupt priests, wicked practices, and a false sense of security in their privileged relationship with God. Using the question-and-answer method, Malachi probes deeply into their problems of hypocrisy, infidelity, mixed marriages, divorce, false worship, and arrogance. So sinful has the the nation become that God's words to the people no longer have any impact. For four hundred years after Malachi's ringing condemnations, God remains silent. Only with the coming of John the Baptist (prophesied in 3:1) does God again communicate to His people through a prophet's voice.

The meaning of the name Mal'aki ("My Messenger") is probably a shortened form of Mal'akya, "Messenger of Yahweh," and it is appropriate to the book which speaks of the coming of the "messenger of the covenant" )"messenger is mentioned three times in 2:7; 3:1). The Septuagint used the title Malachias even though it also translated it "by the hand of the messenger." The Latin title is Maleachi.

Read through the first chapter of Malachi. It is only 14 verses. Grab a notebook or journal, pen or pencil, and keep your Bible open as we break the bread together. I will be asking questions throughout today's study. Record your answers in your book. If you are participating in this study with friends or a small group, use the questions for talking points. The purpose of this study is to dig deeper into the Word of God and to apply the lessons to our own lives. Feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Verses 1-5 God's Great Love For Israel
Malachi has a message from God for the people of Israel. The message is a serious one and God is very clear that He is displeased with His people. The very ones He set apart for Himself have dishonored Him and He addresses it in the first chapter.

When the Bible says that Jacob was loved and Esau was hated, this is not a literal love and hate as we use the terms commonly today. Rather God was showing a comparison with how He loved Jacob (Israel) more than Esau (Edom). He favored Jacob with more honor and blessings than Esau. When Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed everything they had, Jacob was able to rebuild, but Esau never was.

In verse four, God said, "They shall build, but I will throw down." He says that not only will he tear down whatever they hope to build, but people would label them as "The border of wickedness," and "The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever." What a serious statement. God's not only going to destroy any effort they make, but others are going to point their finger and say they line up along the wicked and these are the ones that God is angry with for ever. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be in that category.

God says that not only will He do these things, but Israel would see it and magnify His Holy name. God is not merely threatening His people, He says they will see it come to pass for themselves. This is a really tough message to receive.

Questions: Is it difficult to see this side of God, an angry God? Do you view God as One who is waiting to destroy everything you are building up? Do you see God as a loving Heavenly Father? How do these verses change your viewpoint on who God really is? 

Verses 6-14 The Priests Dishonor God
God is very specific in His law that the priests were to make sacrifices for the people. They were to offer perfect sacrifices without spot or blemish and then make their requests known. The priests know this. They are not ignorant of the law. They choose to dishonor God by offering animal sacrifices that are marred in some way. They have diseases, are blind, cannot walk, or are sick. These sacrifices would not be good enough for dignitaries on earth, so why would they be considered good enough for the most Holy and High God?

Not only are they offering defective sacrifices to God, they have the audacity to request He grant them favor. Their sloppy shortcuts and irresponsible behavior has caused God to become angry. He is so displeased with the priests that He tells them, "I have no pleasure in you, neither will I accept an offering at your hand." Why do they even think God would want to do anything for them? They have not surrendered their heart to Him. They are just giving Him whatever they want and expecting God to accept it.

Why even open the doors of the temple, take the time and effort to sacrifice feeble offerings, and ask God for anything, if they are not going to have pure motives? The Bible says in verse eleven that people from other nations will honor the name of God and worship Him purely.

For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto My name, and a pure offering: for My name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

The last verse of chapter one, God curses the deceiver. He said, For I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and My name is dreadful among the heathen. Even the enemies of God knew how powerful and mighty He was and is. They feared God. They did not revere Him, but they feared what He could do.

The priests should have feared God and revered His great name.

Questions: What are some things you are not giving God your best? How much time do you spend with Him compared to the time you spend on your phone or doing something you love? What sacrifices are you making for God in hopes He will give you His favor? What ways can you grow in your relationship with God? What areas can you give better sacrifices?

Additional Readings:
Proverbs 15:8 talks about the sacrifice of the wicked and the prayer of the upright.
Isaiah 1:10-21 speaks of the sacrifices and ritualistic behavior not uncommon in our society in America today.
Amos 5:21-23 is God's rejection of sacrifices and songs from the impure in heart.
Romans 14:23 speaks about sin.
Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it is impossible to please God and why.
Romans 11:11-12 explains that the fall of God's people was a benefit to the Gentiles and discusses the effects of the fall on God's people.

I am guilty of not giving God my very best. He deserves my time and attention. He deserves my uninterrupted praise and worship and adoration. He deserves for me to brag on Him and His goodness. I repent of the times I pushed back my prayer time until bedtime and then fall asleep mid-prayer. I repent of the times I rushed through my day, not giving Him much thought, as I hurried from task to task and errand to errand, then wondered why I felt such worry and anxiety. I felt so rushed and hurried when I had not first given my day to Him to bless and my steps to order. Let's end chapter one's study today with reflection and repentance. Let's turn our hearts back to our Heavenly Father and show Him the adoration He longs to receive and so deserves. Let's lavish Him with love and honor as we go about our day and as we take our pilgrim's journey through this world.

Friends, I hope you have been encouraged and enlightened with this week's Bible Study. It is not a book I have delved into before at any great lengths but I am looking forward to breaking the bread with you again next week as we look at chapter two.

May something I shared today give you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens