⏱ 5 min read

The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. “I have loved you,” says the Lord. Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the Lord. “Yet Jacob I have loved; But Esau I have hated, and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness.” ~ Malachi 1:1-3

• I really love how Prophet Malachi starts his book: “The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel…”
• A burden represents a heavy load that makes one uncomfortable. This is one of the many different ways the word of the Lord can come to us.
• Take special notice of when you have a word/message burning inside of you; God may be speaking to you.

I’ve had some times when I wake up and there’s a burden of a word or message to someone or to the ministry I lead – I’ll just be walking around and that’s all I can think about. Until I speak to the person or ministry about it, the burden doesn’t leave. God can speak to you through a burden.

The first message God gave through Malachi was this “I have loved you.” Other versions say, “I have always loved you.” What a message of hope and assurance for us all. God loves you dearly, and He wants me to repeat these words to you today: God loves you and He has always loved you!

“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” ~ Jeremiah 31:3

• Unfortunately, just like many of us do, the Israelites doubted about God’s love because they used their political or economic progress as a measure of God’s care (they were just coming back from exile).
• Because the government was corrupt and the economy was poor, they assumed that God didn’t love them.
• So they responded to God’s statement by asking how God loved them. They were using the wrong measure of God’s love.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?... Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

• Often, we find ourselves asking God: “Do you really love me?” Especially when life isn’t turning out the way we had hoped.
• Dear friend, material blessings are not the primary indicator of God’s love. In fact, they are often not an indicator at all.

God loves all of us because He made us specially in His image. However, His eternal rewards go only to those who believe in Him and are faithful to Him regardless of life’s circumstances.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. ~ Hebrews 11:6

• God did answer Israel’s question anyway. They asked: “In what way have You loved us?”
• God said, out of two siblings, Jacob (Israel) and Esau, I chose you Jacob (Israel). “Jacob I have loved; But Esau I have hated.”
• Oh what great grace, may God choose us and love us! May you be favoured!

God was explaining the way He had loved them (and the way He has loved you and I also). God has loved us by choosing us. Love is demonstrated in the choice made.

• In a romantic relationship, a man/woman makes a choice out of all the other potential people out there. That is his/her choice of who to love.
• Out of all the 8 billion plus people in the world, God says, “I want you to be my special person; my beloved.” Why me, Lord? What good did I do?
• “You did nothing! It’s not by your works; I have just made my choice, and my choice is you!” That is grace at work! Receive God’s amazing grace (Ephesians 2:8).

One may ask, but why didn’t God choose Esau (unbelievers) instead or in addition? After all, he was the firstborn; he had the rights of inheritance by tradition, and so he deserved to be the next in line.

Now we don’t have all the answers, but we’ll attempt to touch on it briefly tomorrow before we move to something we want to share with you also from Malachi 1. Today, I want you to receive this great love God has for you, thank Him for it and respond to this love.

Heavenly Father, thank you for reaching out to me with this great love; thank you for choosing me. Thank you for saving me. I love you Jesus, and I want to live for you the rest of my life. Amen!

Hey, you're blessed and highly favoured and dearly loved!
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