Consider the worship life of God’s people in Malachi’s day. By this time the Babylonian exile is over. The walls of Jerusalem have been rebuilt. The temple with all its offerings again is part of the Israelites’ lives. In 400 years Jesus, their promised Messiah, would come. But once again the hearts of God’s people began to stray from him. Oh, they went through the outward motions of worship. They called the LORD Almighty their God and expected that his hand of blessing would rest upon them. But God was not pleased with them. Why? Because their worship in so many ways was just going through the motions. They went to the temple but not joyfully. They brought the required sacrifices to the LORD but they were not bringing God their best. The crippled and diseased animals were the ones they brought to God. And they expected that God would be satisfied! They thought they had done their duty! But in reality their presence at the temple and the offerings of their hands were really telling God how unimportant he was in their lives. Never would they have given their governor such sacrifices. Indeed, the governor would not have accepted them. Nor did God accept them. Their worship was not pleasing to him and God ignoring their prayers testified to it.

Will you find yourself in the house of God this summer? Wonderful! But will your summer worship truly be pleasing to your God? Will you be in God’s house not because you have to be but because you want to be? Will your worship be saying to God, "O Lord, you are the most important person in my life and I truly love and adore you." Or will your worship be saying, "Well, God, I’ve done my duty. Now I expect you to bless me." "Well, God, I’ve brought you my offerings, meager though they may be, but I expect that you will be satisfied."

The Lord Jesus once found himself at a well in Samaria. To this well came a woman who had five husbands. Yet this woman found herself interested in what Jesus had to say and in who Jesus claimed to be. One interesting question she raised gave Jesus the opportunity to speak about the worship which glorifies and pleases God. When asked where the proper place for worship was, Jesus answered, John 4:23-24, "Yet a time is coming and has now comes when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

May God help us bring such worship to him throughout the coming summer months. Come to God’s house with joy in your heart that you once more have entered into God’s presence. Listen closely to God’s word - law and gospel - and apply it to your own heart and life. The Holy Spirit will work through this word to strengthen your faith and to increase you love for God your Savior. Come to God’s house eager to tell God how much you love him. Let true worship flow from your heart and lips. Sing God’s praises. Open your hymnal and lift up your voice to the Lord. Bring before your God the best that you can bring - in worship and in praise and in offerings. Remember that you have entered into the presence of your King! Reflect the awe and reverence that such a blessing should bring. Then also enjoy the fellowship and presence of God’s family with whom you have gathered. We live in a world that is growing increasingly pagan. What a blessing to be able to spend some time with the family of God and to also be encouraged by them to walk in this world as true children of the living God.

May God bless our worship throughout the summer. And may God’s complaint to the Israelites in Malachi’s day encourage us to strive with the Holy Spirit’s help to bring forth a summer worship that is truly pleasing to our great and gracious God.