Repent 4

Malachi 3:1

In the fall and winter months we host a Bible study every Sunday evening at the parsonage. We enjoy having others come to the house for a small meal and fellowship time and, of course, the Bible study is always uplifting. Another benefit we get from hosting the Bible study is that every weekend we must clean our house so that it is presentable to our guests.

Although the act of cleaning isn’t always enjoyable it is good to know that the place is cleaned. It is good to know we have prepared the place to welcome the visitors we know are coming.

I think we sometimes must take that same approach with our souls. Malachi addresses many wrong behaviors in a society that has strayed from God. According to this passage, who is God sending? What will he do? Who is he preparing for?

This reading from Malachi might make us think of the ministry of John the Baptist. It might also make us think of Jesus. Both men preached a message of repentance, and that repentance was supposed to be a spiritual preparation for our place in the kingdom of heaven. Both preached a message that we must ready our hearts to make room for the Holy Spirit.

This message of preparation is not just intended to the Israelites of long ago, but is a message we should heed at all times. We must prepare our souls for the arrival of God. We should be cleansed of all our sins and mistakes. We should analyze our souls and our motivation to see if we are truly leading the type of life that is pleasing to God.

And, if we clean house spiritually, we can remove all the clutter that can detract from a holy life or distract us from obeying God. If we repent we can set aside the wrong and make room for the Lord.

Just as with cleaning a house, the act itself may not be pleasant, but it is very good to know that the cleaning has been done. It may be difficult for us to be honest in our evaluation of our spiritual health. It may be difficult for us to admit that some of the things we do are wrong.

But if we can confront ourselves and our own errant ways we can prepare our own hearts for the presence of Christ. If we can repent of our sins first, we can prepare our souls to be the temple where God might reside.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you prepare your heart for the presence of God?