When we know that someone special is coming, we make preparations. We clean our homes, arrange our schedules, and make sure everything is ready.

The Bible reminds us that Jesus is coming again. We do not know the day or the hour, but His return is certain. The question is not whether He will come, but whether we are ready when He comes.

Being ready is not simply attending church, participating in religious activities, or knowing the Bible. It means having a heart that truly loves God, a life that honors Him, and a faith that is demonstrated through obedience.

Prayer.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for telling reminding us that Jesus is coming again. Forgive us for the times we have become careless in our spiritual lives and have been satisfied with religious activities without truly honoring You.

Prepare our hearts, Lord. Teach us to love You sincerely, honor You with our lives, and demonstrate our faith through obedience. Help us to remain faithful and watchful, knowing that we do not know the day or the hour of Your coming.

May we never take Your love and grace for granted. Awaken our hearts through Your Word, and help us to live each day ready to meet You.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.

Amen.

MATTHEW 24:42 “…be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

MATTHEW 24:44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

MATTHEW 25:13 Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Jesus repeatedly reminds us to be ready because we do not know when He will return. His coming is certain, but the time is unknown. Therefore, we must not live carelessly or postpone our obedience to God. We must be spiritually alert every day.

Being ready does not mean merely knowing that Jesus is coming. It means living in a way that pleases Him. We must examine our hearts, our priorities, our relationships, and the way we use our time. The question is not simply, “Do I believe Jesus is coming?” but “Am I living today as someone who is ready to meet Him?”

MATTHEW 24:44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. 45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master]is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and begins… to drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus illustrates readiness through the story of two servants. The faithful servant continues to fulfill his responsibilities, knowing that his master may return at any time. The unfaithful servant assumes that his master will be delayed and begins to live carelessly.

The difference between them is not their knowledge of the master's return, but their response to that knowledge.

The faithful servant is rewarded because he is found doing what his master has entrusted to him. This reminds us that God has given us responsibilities in our families, ministries, workplaces, and communities. We must remain faithful in fulfilling them.

Salvation is not earned by good works. We are saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. However, genuine faith produces a transformed life. Our obedience does not purchase salvation; it demonstrates the reality of our faith.

How we live today is evidence of what we believe about Jesus. If we truly believe that He is coming again, we will desire to honor Him with our lives.

This brings us to the message of Malachi. God was speaking to people who were going through religious activities, yet their hearts were far from Him. They needed a wake-up call. They needed to prepare to meet their God.

MALACHI 1

1. Prepare to Meet God by Remembering His Love

1 The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi. 2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob;

Malachi is the final book of the Old Testament. His name means “my messenger,” and he was given the responsibility of delivering God's message to His people.

The word “oracle” refers to a burden or message entrusted to a prophet. Malachi carried the burden of communicating God's truth to a spiritually discouraged nation.

The people of Israel had returned from exile. The temple had been rebuilt, and sacrifices were being offered. Yet their spiritual condition was not right. They were going through religious motions, questioning God's love, and neglecting their responsibilities before Him.

Before God confronts their sin, He reminds them of His love. This is important because the foundation of our relationship with God is not our performance but His grace.

God initiated the conversation. He wanted His people to understand that His love was not absent, even when their circumstances were difficult.

But the people had become so discouraged that they could no longer recognize the love of God in their lives. They were looking at their circumstances instead of remembering God's faithfulness.

The same thing can happen to us. When life disappoints us, we may begin to question God's goodness. We may think that God does not care about us because our prayers have not been answered according to our expectations.

But God's love is not measured by the absence of difficulties. His love is demonstrated by His faithfulness, His grace, and ultimately through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

We must learn to meditate on God's love. If we do not take time to remember His goodness, we may become spiritually discouraged and begin to live as though God does not care.

The first step in preparing to meet God is to remember that He loves us.

3 but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.”

God reminds Israel of His sovereign choice of Jacob over Esau. They were twin brothers, but God chose Jacob's descendants to become the nation through which His covenant promises would be fulfilled.

The word “hate” in this passage is understood in a comparative sense, expressing God's choice of Jacob over Esau. It does not mean that God commands His people to hate others. Rather, the passage emphasizes God's sovereign grace in choosing Jacob and establishing His covenant with Israel.

Jacob and Esau were both sinners. Neither deserved God's favor. Yet God chose to show His covenant grace to Jacob's descendants.

This teaches us an important truth: God's love is not something we earn. It is a gift of His grace.

We must never think that God loves us because we are better than other people. We are recipients of His mercy, not beneficiaries of our own goodness.

When we understand this, we become humble and grateful. Instead of asking, “Why has God not given me what I deserve?” we begin to ask, “How can I honor God for the grace He has given me?”

4 Though Edom says, “We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins”; thus says the Lord of hosts, “They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom the Lord is indignant forever.” 5 Your eyes will see this and you will say, “The Lord be magnified beyond the border of Israel!”

Edom refers to the descendants of Esau, Jacob's twin brother. The Israelites were the descendants of Jacob, while the Edomites were the descendants of Esau. They came from the same father, Isaac, and the same mother, Rebekah.

Yet God chose Jacob and established His covenant with his descendants. This was not because the Israelites were better or more deserving than the Edomites. Both nations were sinful, and both experienced God's judgment because God is just.

The Israelites were conquered and taken into exile because of their disobedience. The Edomites also experienced judgment and destruction. However, God, in His sovereign grace, allowed the Israelites to return to their homeland and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. Edom, on the other hand, never recovered as an independent kingdom and eventually disappeared as a distinct nation.

Through this contrast, God was reminding Israel of His faithfulness and covenant love. They did not deserve special treatment because of their goodness. Their restoration was an expression of God's grace.

We, too, are sinners who need His mercy. Whatever blessings, opportunities, and privileges we enjoy are not because we are better than others, but because God has been gracious to us.

God was essentially reminding Israel, "I have loved you. Look at My faithfulness. Remember My grace."

The same reminder applies to us today. Never take God's love for granted. We must respond to His grace with gratitude, faithfulness, and wholehearted devotion.

LUKE 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

MATTHEW 10:37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

Jesus is not teaching us to literally hate our family members. The Bible commands us to love our parents, our spouses, and our children. Rather, Jesus is emphasizing that our love for Him must be greater than our love for anyone else. God must have first place in our lives.

One of our greatest spiritual dangers is idolatry. Idolatry is not limited to worshiping physical images. It happens whenever we place something or someone above God. Our family, career, money, possessions, and personal ambitions can become idols when they take the place that belongs to God alone.

If we truly understand God's love, we will respond by loving Him above everything else. We will not allow the blessings He gives us to become more important than the One who gives them. God's love must become the motivation for our obedience.

GENESIS 25:23 The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.” 24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them. 27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Even before Jacob and Esau were born, God had already declared that the older would serve the younger. God's choice was not based on their achievements or personal goodness. It was an expression of His sovereign purpose.

However, their story also reveals the consequences of human choices. Isaac and Rebekah practiced favoritism, and their family experienced division. Esau became careless about his spiritual inheritance, while Jacob demonstrated a desire to obtain the blessing, although he often pursued it through deception.

This reminds us that God's sovereign purposes do not remove our human responsibility. We are responsible for how we respond to His Word and how we live before Him.

GENESIS 25:29 When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; 30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” 33 And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Esau exchanged his birthright for a bowl of stew. The birthright carried significant family privileges, including a double portion of the inheritance and a position of responsibility within the family. In the patriarchal context, it was also connected with the family blessing and covenant promises.

Esau treated something of lasting significance as though it were worthless. He was concerned about satisfying his immediate hunger, and he was willing to sacrifice his future for temporary gratification.

HEBREWS 12:16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Esau is a warning against godlessness. Esau made a terrible trade-off. He exchanged something precious for something temporary. Sometimes, we make the same mistake. We sacrifice our relationship with God for temporary pleasure. We compromise our convictions for financial gain. We neglect our spiritual responsibilities because we are too busy pursuing the things of this world. Do not let a moment of pleasure cost you a lifetime of regret.

We must learn to value what is eternal more than what is temporary. Our relationship with God, our spiritual inheritance, and our faithfulness to Christ are far more valuable than anything this world can offer.

To prepare to meet God, we must treasure what God treasures and refuse to exchange eternal blessings for temporary satisfaction.

HEBREWS 12:5 …“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; 6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

God's love is not only comforting; it is also corrective. He loves us too much to allow us to continue in sin without correction.

The Israelites were disciplined because they had turned away from God. Their difficulties were meant to awaken them to their spiritual condition and lead them back to Him.

The same principle applies to us. When God corrects us through His Word, we must not ignore His voice. When He exposes our sin, we must not become defensive. We must humble ourselves, repent, and return to Him.

God's discipline is not a rejection of His children. It is evidence of His fatherly care and His desire to restore us. Therefore, we must not only remember God's love; we must also respond to His love through repentance and obedience.

1 CORINTHIANS 10:31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Honoring God is not limited to what happens inside the church. Every area of our lives must bring glory to Him. Whether we are working, eating, speaking, raising our children, managing our finances, or serving in ministry, we must do everything for God's glory.

Our private lives must honor Him just as much as our public lives. The question is not simply, “Am I doing something religious?” The question is, “Is the way I live bringing glory to God?”

2. Prepare to Meet God by Honoring Him with Your Best

6 “‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’

God confronts the priests because they were not honoring Him. They were spiritual leaders, yet their lives and ministry demonstrated a lack of reverence for God.

If human relationships deserve honor, how much more does the Almighty God deserve our honor?

The problem was not that the priests had stopped performing religious activities. They were still serving in the temple. The problem was that their hearts were no longer honoring God. They were performing their duties without the reverence that God deserved.

This is a serious warning for us. We can attend church, participate in ministry, sing worship songs, and even teach the Bible while our hearts are far from God. God is not merely interested in what we do outwardly. He is concerned about the condition of our hearts.

7 You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is to be despised.’ 8 But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts.

God required the Israelites to offer animals without defect. However, the priests were allowing defective animals to be presented on the altar. They were giving God what was inferior while reserving what was better for themselves.

God asks them to consider whether they would offer such an unacceptable gift to their governor. If they would not treat an earthly ruler that way, why would they treat the King of kings that way?

The principle is clear: God deserves our best. This does not mean that we must give God only what is perfect in our own strength. It means that we must offer Him our sincere devotion, our obedience, and our wholehearted service. We must not give God our leftovers.

Do we give Him the best of our time, or only the time we have left? Do we serve Him with joy, or only when it is convenient? Do we honor Him in our private lives, or only when others are watching? God deserves more than our religious activities. He deserves our hearts.

9 “But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? [l]With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts. 10 “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from you.

The people were asking God for His favor while continuing to dishonor Him through their offerings. They wanted God's blessings, but they were unwilling to give Him the honor He deserved.

This is a danger in our own spiritual lives. We may ask God to bless our families, our work, our ministries, and our plans, while neglecting our obedience to Him. We must understand that worship is not a way of manipulating God to receive what we want. Worship is our response to who God is and what He has done for us.

God even declares that it would be better for the temple gates to be shut than for the priests to continue offering sacrifices in a way that dishonored Him. Religious activity without a heart of reverence is not pleasing to God.

JOHN 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Obedience is not the price we pay to earn God's love. It is the natural response of a heart that truly loves Him. Christianity is not complicated in this sense: we love Jesus, and because we love Him, we desire to obey Him.

If we claim to love God but continually disregard His commandments, we must examine the condition of our hearts. A genuine love for Christ will change the way we live.

MARK 7:6 And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. 7 ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ 8 Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

The religious leaders' outward worship did not reflect their inward devotion. They honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him. They had become more concerned about religious traditions than obedience to God's Word.

This is a warning against a superficial kind of Christianity. We must not confuse religious appearance with spiritual maturity. God does not merely want our words. He wants our hearts.

The best offering we can give God is not simply our time, money, or service. It is a life surrendered to Him in love and obedience.

11 For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts.

God declares that His name will be honored among the nations. His glory is not limited to Israel. His purpose is that people from every nation will worship Him.

This points forward to God's greater redemptive purpose, fulfilled through Jesus Christ, through whom people from every nation are invited to come to God.

God's people were failing to honor Him, but God's purpose would not fail. One day, the greatness of His name will be recognized throughout the world. Our responsibility today is to honor Him with our lives and make His greatness known through our words, actions, and service.

12 “But you are profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ 13 You also say, My, how tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says the Lord of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?” says the Lord.

The priests were not only offering defective sacrifices; they were also complaining about their ministry. They regarded their service as tiresome. They were going through the motions, but their hearts were no longer joyful in serving God.

This is what happens when our relationship with God becomes merely an obligation. We may continue serving, but we lose the joy of serving Him. God deserves to be served with a grateful heart.

When we remember His grace, His mercy, and His love, our service becomes an expression of gratitude rather than a burden.

REVELATION 3:15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will [l]spit you out of My mouth.

The church in Laodicea has spiritual lukewarmness. Their outward condition did not reflect a wholehearted devotion to Christ. We must not become complacent in our spiritual lives. We must not be satisfied with a Christianity that has become merely routine.

However, the point is not that a believer must achieve perfect emotional intensity every moment. Rather, Christ calls His people to genuine repentance, wholehearted devotion, and dependence upon Him.

We must not settle for a superficial relationship with God.

14 “But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is feared among the nations.”

God is a great King. The priests were treating God as though He were unimportant. They were offering Him what was inferior, even though they had better things available.

God deserves our reverence because of who He is. We must not shortchange God. Whatever we do for Him, we must do it with sincerity, excellence, and wholehearted devotion.

The issue is not simply the quality of our offering. The deeper issue is the condition of our hearts. If our hearts are not right with God, our outward religious activities will never be an adequate substitute for genuine worship.

To prepare to meet God, we must honor Him with our best because He is our great King.

3. Prepare to Meet God by Offering Him Your Life

2 SAMUEL 24:24 …for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God [i]which cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

David understood that worship must involve genuine sacrifice. He refused to offer something to God that cost him nothing. David was not a perfect man. He committed serious sins, but he also knew how to repent and humble himself before God.

His offering was an expression of a heart that recognized the greatness of God and the seriousness of worship. The same principle applies to us. We must not offer God a life of convenience, where we serve Him only when it is easy or comfortable.

Genuine worship involves surrender. It means giving God our time, our resources, our abilities, and our lives. God does not require us to purchase His love through sacrifice. Rather, because He has already loved us and shown us His grace, we respond by offering Him our lives.

ROMANS 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Because God has saved us, forgiven us, and shown us His grace, we are called to present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice.

In the Old Testament, sacrifices were placed upon the altar and offered to God. But in the New Testament, we are called to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. This means that our entire lives belong to God. Our time belongs to Him. Our talents belong to Him. Our families belong to Him. Our work, our resources, and our future belong to Him.

We must not wait until we are old, retired, or no longer capable of serving before we give God our best. Give God the best years of your life. Serve Him while you have strength, while you have opportunities, and while you can still make a difference.

The greatest offering we can give God is a life that is fully surrendered to Him. Preparing to meet God begins with surrendering our lives to Him today.

4. Prepare to Meet God Today

AMOS 4:12 …Prepare to meet your God, O Israel.”

God was warning Israel that judgment was coming. They could not continue living in rebellion and assume that everything would remain as it was. They needed to prepare to meet their God.

The same truth applies to us. We do not know when Jesus will return, and we do not know how much time we have left in this life. Therefore, we must not postpone our obedience.

If there is sin in your life, repent today. If there is bitterness in your heart, surrender it to God today. If you have neglected your relationship with Him, return to Him today. If you have been serving God with a complaining heart, ask Him to restore your joy. If you have been giving God your leftovers, begin to honor Him with your best.

The time to prepare is not tomorrow. The time to prepare is today.

Prayer.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for telling us that You love us unconditionally. Forgive us for the times we have taken Your love for granted and failed to honor You with our best.

Lord, help us to remember that everything we have comes from Your grace. May our love for You be reflected in our obedience, our worship, our service, and the way we live each day.

Teach us to give You not only our time and resources, but our whole hearts. Remove anything in our lives that takes Your rightful place. Help us to remain faithful, watchful, and ready to meet You when Jesus comes again.

May our lives bring glory to Your great and holy name. We love You, Lord, and we desire to honor You with our best.

In the precious name of Jesus Christ, we pray.

Amen.

The content of this article is adapted from the source below:

God Loves You: Honor God With Your Best!

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By God’s grace, this website, The Message of God, was created to share His Word, encourage others in their faith, and lead people to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. God has uniquely designed and equipped every believer to take part in His work, and this website is one small expression of that calling.

All glory, honor, and praise belong to God alone. I am deeply grateful to Christ’s Commission Fellowship (CCF)—God’s instrument in helping me know Jesus personally and grow in a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him. The messages shared here are inspired by past CCF sermons, which have greatly influenced my walk with the Lord.

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