“Then suddenly the LORD you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.

Devotion based on Malachi 3:1-4

Have you ever gotten soap in your eye or accidentally rubbed some sanitizer into a recent paper cut. That really stings, doesn’t it? Something like that causes discomfort. It is often bad enough to make us cry out in pain. It can be a very painful few seconds or even minutes. That’s why children don’t want dad or mom to clean out a recent cut or scrape.

Repentance works the same way. It is painful to admit sin. Admitting that we have sinned also brings discomfort. We don’t like to admit greed, apathy, lust, or hatred. Like the child with the skin cut, we try to hide our sin. We try to avoid the painful but necessary cleansing process.

Failing to clean out a wound allows it to fester. It can lead to infection, illness and even ultimately death. In that case, a little discomfort in getting cleaned up is a good thing. Similarly, sin that is not cleansed through repentance is dangerous for our souls. Repentance prevents sin from festering and infecting our faith. Sin that is not addressed can ultimately lead to unbelief and eternal death in hell.

The season of Advent is a time to prepare our souls for Jesus’ return. Use the time to humbly repent of your sins and let the gospel heal you. Like a launderer uses soap, let God’s Word do its important work of cleansing your soul in Christ. He alone purifies us from all sin. Put your faith in him.

Prayer: