Well this is exciting! We are in the last book of the Old Testament!
Malachi Chapter 1. Does what people see match my heart's attitude?
God confronts the attitudes of Israel because they do religious things but the attitudes behind their actions are terrible.
God confronts the attitudes of their hearts:
1. They don't fear or respect God. It's the last attitude mentioned yet it's the foundation for all the other bad attitudes. If we lack fear and respect for God, then we close our hearts of any moral and godly standards. We convince ourselves that anything goes.
2. Which leads to the attitude that God doesn't care what we do and he will never hold us accountable for our poor decisions. Just as it was said in Psalm 10:13, “Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, he won't hold me accountable!”
3. A sloppy attitude of one's faith produces a poor commitment. Israel made sacrifices but all of them were with diseased and sick animals, or defamed ones. From the outside it looked like they were doing something spectacular for the Lord, but their hearts and motives were far from God.
God said he'd rather Israel did zero sacrifices than do all sloppy ones.
Until we can recognize and confess our bad attitudes towards the Lord, we will never change.
God show me where my faith is far from you. Show me where my faith is sloppy. Show me if I don't fear you nor respect you. Show me if any of my heart acts as if I don't care about my sin. In Jesus's name, amen.