#234 THE LORD WHOM YOU SEEK 10-4-26

Malachi 3 begins with a remarkable promise: “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple” (Malachi 3:1).

The Lord whom they sought was coming.

The New Testament identifies the messenger as John the Baptist, who came preparing the way for Jesus (Matthew 11:10). Then came Christ, the Lord Himself, bringing light into a world darkened by sin.

But Malachi asks a searching question: “Who can endure the day of His coming?” (Malachi 3:2).

Jesus is comforting, but He is also cleansing. Malachi describes Him as “a refiner’s fire and like launderer’s soap” (Malachi 3:2). The Lord does not come merely to make us feel better about ourselves. He comes to purify us. He calls us away from sin and toward holiness.

That is the grace of Christ. He loves us enough to forgive us, and He loves us enough not to leave us as we are.

Malachi says, “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver” (Malachi 3:3). Sometimes God’s work in our lives feels like fire. But the Refiner knows what He is doing.

Christ is the Lord we seek, the Savior who cleanses, and the Refiner who makes us ready to stand before God.

Let Him do His work.

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Lord Jesus, thank You for coming to us with grace and truth. Purify our hearts, remove what does not belong in our lives, and make us more like You. Help us welcome Your refining work and walk faithfully in Your light. Amen.

Bryan Dewayne Dunaway