God is Attentive

"Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name."  Malachi 3:16   What a verse of comfort to God's people.  Many have rehearsed Jehoshaphat's famous words of despair: "For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." (2 Chronicles 20:12)  But if you read a few verses before it, you'll find a few more things he did first: "Jehoshaphat was afraid (yes, we are) and turned his attention to seek the LORD..."

Are we faithfully "turning our attention to seek the LORD"?  (And Jehoshaphat also proclaimed a fast, which also do most of the prophets in times of disaster, but that's another post.)  What sticks me is that they turned their attention to God; not to find various ways of entertainment to fill up this endless void of time as we sit in our houses and wait.  To turn our attention to God will be of the utmost benefit to our peace not to mention our growth, our strength, and our fruitfulness.   And then we have Malachi who reiterates God's response to that:  "Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it..."

Matthew Poole says the following about this verse:  "'Then'; when atheism and bold contempt of God was grown so high..."(remember Mr. Poole writes in the 1600's and he is writing about times pre-New Testament...'nothing new under the sun'!)  He continues about "those who feared the LORD", "those that were truly religious, that knew God's judgments were a great deep, and that His ways were as high above our ways as heaven about the earth, discoursed aright of God's mercy, justice, patience, holiness and wisdom in His government and manage of the sons of men; established one another against the assaults of such proud, contemptuous disputers; encourage each other to wait for God in the way of His judgements. The godly spake things that did become the ways of God"[or in other words 'qualify' or 'appropriate' or 'suitable'...the godly spoke about things that honored God.] And at the end of the verse, the godly are mentioned again "those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name".  Mr. Poole says this about them: "that thought about His name with love, esteem, and holy admiration."

There we are:  more room for growing, more need for strength, and great need for fruitfulness at a time when people are ripe for the picking.  God, bless us with wisdom to make great use of our time during this change in our schedules.  Let us "discourse aright of God's mercy, justice, patience, holiness and wisdom in His government and manage of the sons of men."  Let us "who fear the LORD speak to one another!"  God will be attentive.  He said so.