Our best - Malachi 1:6b-7

Malachi 1:6b-7 (ESV)

O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ [7] By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the LORD’s table may be despised.

This passage goes on to speak of priests offering blind, sick, or maimed animals as sacrifices on the altar of God. They are aware, or ought to be aware that God requires a perfect sacrifice. What they have been offering to God was that which they did not want to keep for themselves. They wouldn’t even offer these as a gift to a human ruler, yet here they are offering second-rate sacrifices to God.

It makes me wonder whether I give of the first fruits of my own life to God, or whether I give him what is convenient. Do I get the feast while he gets the leftovers? Thursday we will sit down to tables laden with food. Will we even take time to consider how God has blessed us? Will we recognize him as the source of all that we have? And what about our time and energy? Does he get what’s left after we have entertained ourselves? As creator and provider, does he not deserve our best instead of our leftovers?

What does that mean and what does that look like? I’m not sure. It likely means something slightly different for each of us, but let me ask some questions? Does God get the first check written when I get my paycheck, or do I wait to see if I have anything to give? Does God hear from me first thing in the morning and last thing at night, or does he only hear from me when I need him to fix something? If I get a bonus do my thoughts go first to who I might need to help, or to what I can buy for myself? God deserves our first and our best. Let’s not give him the leftovers this Thanksgiving?