Our Father Is Paying Attention to Us
Scripture Reading — Malachi 1:1-5
You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel.’
The people of Edom, the descendants of Esau, may have thought they could undo what God had done. They didn’t consider themselves God’s children, so why would Israel’s God pay attention to them?
Everyone has times when they’d like to think God isn’t paying attention. Even people who believe in God sometimes act as if God doesn’t see them. The people of Israel were feeling that way too. God pointed out that he was paying attention—even to people who didn’t believe in him, like the nation of Edom in Israel’s day. If God was paying attention to Edom, he was certainly also paying attention to Israel, and he pays attention to us today.
Many nations and people in the world today—in the west, east, north, and south—have a strained relationship with Christ Jesus, the heavenly King of this world. Often we can see with our own eyes the problems caused by not following the one true God of love, joy, and peace. That reminds us that God is paying attention to nations as well as to individuals. He also pays attention to those close to him and to those far away from him. So we should pay attention to God too and serve him as best we can. Thanks be to Jesus that anyone who has wandered from God or who has never known him can find him simply by placing their trust in his Son, Jesus!
Dear God, we are sorry for treating you as if you’re not paying attention. You watch over even people who don’t know you. Please forgive us and help us to call on you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About the author — Scott DeVries
Scott DeVries has served as a church pastor and as a ministry coordinator in the Holland, Michigan, area. He currently works at facilitating connections between the more than twenty ministries and 1,100 churches of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. He has a passion for prayer, church organization, and studying the Scriptures in their original languages.
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