I started reading a short book by Thomas Kelly this week. The heart of Kelly’s thought is his conviction that God is among us, pursuing us, and wooing us. God is active, dynamic, and brooding over us, prompting us to be His children.
Kelly notes that “This religion is vital in an unspeakably intimate fellowship of the soul with God.” He says, “We sing, dance, and leap for joy in His presence.” That’s God’s gift to us.
Our response to God’s amazing love is the way of complete surrender.
“The totalitarian claims of the gospel,” Kelly says, “will brook no half-heartedness or mild devotion. It requires that we all follow God to the point of utter exhaustion and throw caution to the wind.”
“Unrestrained devotion, and complete submission – these must be our path. This is a central paradox of faith. We must lose to gain; we must die to ourselves in order to rise to a new life in God.”
Kelly would have fully understood Malachi’s message to the priests of his day. He would have encouraged the priests to give their all to God rather than the half-measures they were offering.
Through the prophet, God challenged the priests. Notice the back-and-forth dialogue between God and the priests.
God – A son honors his father and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is the honor due me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me, says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name.
The Priests – How have we despised your name?
God – By offering polluted food on my altar.
The Priests – How have we polluted it?
God – By thinking that the Lord’s table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not wrong?
And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not wrong? Try presenting that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. (See Malachi 1.6-8)
Instead of offering their best to God, the priests in Malachi’s day provided poor substitutes. The fact that they despised the table of the Lord doesn’t mean they hated it, but rather that they valued the act of worship less than they could or should.
Thomas Kelly’s reflections offer an insightful look into his spiritual journey. For much of his life, he served God with a lukewarm commitment. Although he identified as a Christian and a follower of God, his devotion lacked fullness.
His perspective shifted dramatically during a period marked by personal setbacks and the turmoil of the Second World War. It was then that Kelly discovered a deeper connection to God, which he attributed to a profound sense of surrender.
He emphasized that true spiritual growth stems from a blend of complete obedience, joyous self-sacrifice, and a shift from being self-willed to being more open and accepting of God’s guidance.
His willingness to let go of control and embrace receptivity and humility before God led to a life-transforming intimate relationship with God.
God Doesn’t Play Games
God is speaking to the priests through Malachi. The priests respond to Malachi and ask for prayer.
However, God’s response through the prophet shows that He is not playing games with people who want to pretend to have a relationship with God but are not genuine in their faithfulness to Him.
The Priests – And now implore the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us.
God through Malachi – The fault is yours. Will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts. I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hands.
God – For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name and a pure offering, for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.
God – “What a weariness this is,” you say, and you sniff at it, says the Lord of hosts. (See Malachi 1.9-14)
Thomas Kelly lived into his 40s with a half-hearted devotion to God. I am sure he prayed and did many good things during that time.
However, once he fully surrendered to God, God was able to work through him and make him legendary in the Quaker Church.
Our goal is to learn from the devotion of Thomas Kelly rather than mirror the complacency found among the priests during the time of Malachi, who became weary in their service and approached their duties with a lackadaisical attitude, failing to give their best.
We need to discover what draws us closer to God’s presence, enabling us to experience Him in every moment of our daily lives.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 