Malachi 1:6

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?”

This section of Malachi is rightfully used to talk about giving back to God what is already His. Israel was required to give 10% plus offerings to the Lord. God had blessed them, but they became greedy in their abundance and the small portion He asked for in return was too much to give back. But, that is not my focus, as these daily interactions usually go. Can you hear the heart of a father hurt because they are neglecting Him? We are created in God’s image, so take any of the feelings you may have, even jealousy, and apply them to God, because they came from Him. He “feels” them too. I read Malachi and I wonder how many times I have hurt my Father in heaven because I have been neglectful of those things he longs for in me: like time with Him (in prayer and reading the Bible), worship, and adoration. God is a mountain of strength and there is nothing physically I can give Him because it is all His to begin with. But when I give Him my love, like I do to Tammy, my kids, my friends, and my parents to name a few, I can almost hear a heavenly “I love you too.”