Why is trusting God so hard? Well maybe it isn’t. Maybe we just make it hard.
13 “‘Your words have been arrogant against Me,’ says the Lord. ‘Yet you ask, “What have we spoken against You?”’ 14 You have said, “It is pointless to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out His requirements and walking in mourning before the Lord of Armies? 15 So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, but they even test God and escape punishment.” Malachi 3:13-15
This passage is a pivotal moment—a final complaint that encapsulates all others. It serves as the root of the Israelites’ wickedness and rebellion. From this toxic mindset stems every action, every misgiving.
In verse 10, God offers this challenge:
“Do good and put Me to the test, and see if I will not bless you for it.”
Yet by verse 15, the people counter with their own test:
“Do evil and put God to the test, and see if you escape punishment.”
A Loss of Faith and Perspective
The Israelites had lost all faith, believing only what they could see. God’s patience—offered out of His desire for repentance and redemption (2 Peter 3:9)—was instead misinterpreted as weakness. They viewed trusting God as a chore.
The problem lies in how we often view God. While God is not transactional, we wish He were. His love and patience are unrelenting, and we are called to mirror that divine nature. Yet this tension arises because we live in a world we’ve molded to operate transactionally—a world in stark opposition to God’s design.
A World Misaligned with Love
In Genesis 1:28, God gave humanity dominion over the earth, but instead of aligning with His love, we built a system that thrives on control and self-interest. Though created in His image (Genesis 1:26), we resist submission to His ways.
This resistance takes us back to the Garden of Eden. Like Adam and Eve, the Israelites decided they could define good and evil on their own, rejecting God’s authority. They had, once again, listened to the serpent’s lies without realizing it. The lie that God cannot be trusted. This distrust in God’s goodness bookends the Old Testament—a recurring theme of rebellion.
God’s Plea for Reconsideration
Despite their insolence, God pleads with His people to rethink their stance. He challenges them to trust Him, to do good and witness His blessings. But their distorted view of blessings, shaped by misinterpretations of Job and Deuteronomic teachings, clouds their understanding.
The Israelites expected material wealth as a sign of God’s favor. Yet Scripture consistently reveals that God’s blessings are rarely material. Jesus Himself reframes what it means to be blessed, showing us that true blessings often come through relationships, love, and serving others.
Jesus: The True Lens of God’s Blessings
In the New Testament, we see the early church in Acts and the apostles’ letters modeling this truth. Believers sold possessions and shared with those in need. Jesus, too, blessed others, not with wealth, but with healing, teaching, feeding, and time. His life was one of selfless giving, not accumulation.
Here’s the convicting reality: when I think about God’s blessings, my vision doesn’t always align with Jesus’ life. I want financial security, worldly success for my children, status, and luxury. I want things that look nothing like the life of Christ.
The Lesson from Malachi: Trust and Obedience
The lesson in Malachi calls us back to the Garden to correct the foundational wrong—the failure to trust God. The Israelites’ complaints and rebellion stemmed from their belief that God was not good or trustworthy.
But God can be trusted.
Our role is simple: do good and trust that wherever it takes us, God is with us. The life of faith isn’t about accumulating wealth or comfort but about aligning ourselves with His love and purpose.
This world was designed to operate on love. When we submit to that design, we reflect His image and fulfill His call. Let’s let go of our transactional mindset and, like Jesus, live to bless others.