Malachi

I'm reading Malachi, and had to share this. Malachi talks about what it means to be a true priest in 2:5-7: "My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin. For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction—because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty."

This impressed me first of all by the reminder that God is the one who made Levi and others priests—he is the actor. Levi responded in obedience by revering the Lord.

Secondly, I had to ask myself—does this describe you and I, if we are priests? Peter calls us priests (1 Peter 2:9, "you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ"). Do I turn others away from sin? Do people expect to hear the word of God, the Truth, from my lips?

Lord, May I have true instruction in my mouth; may I have nothing false on my lips. May I walk with you in peace and uprightness. May I be zealous for you and turn others from their sin in grace, truth, and love. May I preserve the knowledge of you and your word; may people know that I will speak the word of God and His word only.