Sometimes we don’t realise we are lost. Would you agree?

Sometimes all it takes is a series of small steps in the wrong direction, perhaps a few steps towards apathy and then compromise slowly creeps in. 

After a while we’re not walking in the way God planned for us, but the fade away has been slow and we didn’t even notice.

That’s exactly what happened with the priests of Israel in the book of Malachi.

In Malachi 2: 1-9 God is speaking to the priests. They have wandered away from the Law of God, and “caused many to stumble” (vs8). They corrupted the covenant that God made with the people and specifically with Levi for the priesthood.

As I was reading through these verses, I really felt God’s heart ache for His people. He calls out to them, showing them they are lost, showing them the way back to Him. In verse 2 He says, “you have not taken my warning to heart.” This covenant was vitally important to God as it was the way for His people to walk in relationship with Him, yet now they had let apathy set in and compromise followed.

In verse 5 God says, “The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them.” God always upholds His side of the covenant.

The priests were supposed to lead the people of God with truth and knowledge, and they were supposed to lead good lives, walking with God. (vs 7) The Law was supposed to be their guiding light, yet they had corrupted the law and the covenant and caused the people to walk away from the path of God (vs 8).

Can you hear the brokenness of God’s heart?

 It was never about the rules and regulations, it was always about the relationship God wanted with His people.

He made a covenant with them that would bring life and peace, truth and freedom. He made a way for the people to know Him and walk with Him, yet they went their own way, seeking freedom apart from God’s way.

By choosing their own way they ended up lost and they didn’t even realise it.

How many times have we chosen our own way, thinking, hoping it would lead to freedom? How many times have we simply just not taken God’s way to heart? Have we let compromise slowly creep in?

The smaller the steps away from obedience to God, the slower the fade away from His heart, the further lost we become and the harder it is to notice.

Friend, can I encourage you today, to take some time to realign your way with God’s way. Ask Him to show where you have allowed apathy and compromise to creep Him and let Him show you the way back. I am so thankful we have the Holy Spirit to lead us in truth and freedom and the fullness of life and peace. That is what God has wanted for us all along!

I pray that we do not ignore Him or harden our hearts towards Him today and that we realise He wants us to walk in relationship with Him.

Blessings,

Laura Jane Anslow