… God of Abraham
You’re the God of covenant
And of faithful promises
Time and time again
You have proven
You’ll do just what You said

… Though the storms may come and the winds may blow
I’ll remain steadfast
And let my heart learn, when You speak a word
It will come to pass

… Great is Your faithfulness to me
Great is Your faithfulness to me
From the rising sun to the setting same
I will praise Your name
Great is Your faithfulness to me

… When the seasons change
You remain the same

… God from age to age
Though the earth may pass away
Your word remains the same, yeah
Your history can prove
There’s nothing You can’t do
You’re faithful and true

… Though the storms may come and the winds may blow
I’ll remain steadfast
And let my heart learn, when You speak a word
It will come to pass

… Great is Your faithfulness to me, oh
Great is Your faithfulness
From the rising sun
From the rising sun to the setting same (I will praise Your name)
I will praise Your name (oh, praise Your name)
Great is Your faithfulness to me, yeah, yeah (oh, oh)

… Your faithfulness, it never runs out (yeah)
It never runs out
Oh-oh, Your faithfulness
Oh, it never runs out (it never runs out)
It never runs out (it never runs out)

… I put my faith in Jesus
My anchor to the ground
My hope and firm foundation
He’ll never let me down, no
I put my faith in Jesus
My anchor to the ground (my hope and firm foundation)
He’s my hope and firm foundation (He’ll never let me down)
He’ll never let me down…

The song, Promises by Maverick, is playing in the background as I read God’s message through Malachi that tells what His people can count on happening when Jesus comes with healing and forgiveness, along with judgement for the wicked.  God’s Son of all that is right, came the first time to earth to show us how to love God back, how to have a deep abiding relationship with him, along with how to love each other—all while on a mission to save us.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16) Then, when God says, Jesus will come back a second time to judge who belongs in His Kingdom and who does not.  We can count on—accountability!

Malachi 4, The Message

The Sun of Righteousness Will Dawn

 ^1-3 “Count on it: The day is coming, raging like a forest fire. All the arrogant people who do evil things will be burned up like stove wood, burned to a crisp, nothing left but scorched earth and ash—a black day. But for you, sunrise! The sun of righteousness will dawn on those who honor my name, healing radiating from its wings. You will be bursting with energy, like colts frisky and frolicking. And you’ll tromp on the wicked. They’ll be nothing but ashes under your feet on that Day.” God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.

⁴ “Remember and keep the revelation I gave through my servant Moses, the revelation I commanded at Horeb for all Israel, all the rules and procedures for right living.

^5-6 “But also look ahead: I’m sending Elijah the prophet to clear the way for the Big Day of God—the decisive Judgment Day! He will convince parents to look after their children and children to look up to their parents. If they refuse, I’ll come and put the land under a curse.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Elijah is not John the Baptist according to Bible scholars but might be one of the witnesses who stand firm in Jerusalem while others mock and abuse them in the “last days” before final judgement by Jesus, the sun of righteousness who will dawn.” Our hope in Jesus will be finally realize in full just as He said it would.  Believers in Jesus who follow and wait expectantly can count on it!

“Turn or burn” was preached almost exclusively as I was growing up in the “old days” (Fifties and Sixties).  I wanted to hear more of the benefits of following Jesus, loving Him, sharing in the joy of knowing him with others.  But as Jesus said, “in this world you will have trouble” but the words that immediately follow are “take heart, I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33)

So, the fact remains, who do we choose?  (To do nothing is also a choice made.)  How will be live our lives here?  Who will we follow?  Truth or lies?  Our answers to these questions we must deal with daily lead to life or death forever.   All of creation is eagerly awaiting the return of the Savior, expecting to be delivered from the bondage of sin (Check our Romans 8:18–23). We too should be expecting Him and, while we’re waiting, tell others about Jesus! For the arising of “the Sun of Righteousness” will mean either burning or blessing according to our passage: blessing to those who have trusted Him, burning to those who have rejected Him. 

I guess the question is, can we handle the heat that will result from our bad behaviors? Do we dread or anticipate with joy the coming of Jesus?  Do we put our faith and hope in Jesus who helps us love like He loves?  Do we seek to think like Jesus so we will be more like Him?  In the end, when Jesus comes back, I am sure I will prefer His blessings.  Some like it hot, I do not.

Believe and be saved forever—Count on it!  Leave fear behind and follow Hope!

Lord,

Your message is clear.  To love you back is the best for us.  To have faith in the One and Only who can be trusted and can be counted on in good times and bad is a “no brainer”.  I love you, Lord with all that is in me.  I know that I can count on you for all of life here that prepares me for there with you forever. 

“I put my faith in Jesus
My anchor to the ground
He’s my hope and firm foundation
He’ll never let me down…”

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, I believe!  Yes, and Amen!