What God Pays Attention to

 Scripture:

“Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure. You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth.”  Malachi‬ ‭2:13-15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Malachi describes God’s people crying out to Him with tears and weeping and groaning because He is not listening to their prayers.  God replies to them that He witnessed their vows to their wives and how they have not been faithful to them.  The next verse says that God hates divorce.  God is saying to them that He is not hearing their prayers because of the way they have treated their wives.

Application:

God pays attention to the vows we make to our spouses and how we treat them.  Peter says that our prayers can be hindered because we are not treating our spouses right.  We must see that God takes marriage very seriously and watches how we treat our spouses.  We are to guard our heart and remain loyal and faithful to our spouses.  When we make commitments, we must follow through because these are the things God pays attention to.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be the husband Cheryl needs and the father Joshua and Jordan need.  Show me how to love them well and to lead them well.  Guard my heart and show me each day how to love better.  I want to serve You well in my generation.  Let me be a man who lives by my promises and covenants.

Your Son,

Jeff