Why do we worship and trust the Lord? Because we get something out of it? Is our reverence for God primarily a way for us to be blessed? That is essentially the question Satan posed to God about Job (Job 1:9). He claimed that Job only served the Lord because the Lord had blessed him. If God took Job’s material blessings away, “he will surely curse you to your face,” claimed Satan (Job 1:11).

The same issue surfaces in Malachi 3:13–17. The people of Israel complained that it wasn’t worth the trouble to worship the Lord. It did not seem to make a difference in their lives. They went about mourning before the Lord and still suffered (v. 14). At the same time, the arrogant and godless seemed blessed (v. 15). So, why bother with God?

Instead of answering directly, the prophet pointed to a group within Israel who “feared the LORD” (v. 16). These people trusted in God despite their circumstances. They encouraged each other to keep the faith. The Lord noticed. He wrote down their names in a “scroll of remembrance” (v. 16). On the day of the Lord’s judgment, He would redeem these devoted servants, “my treasured possession” (v. 17).

Sometimes we can be deceived by our present experience. We look around and have a hard time discerning God’s justice or even His presence. In those difficult times, we can be tempted to lose hope. But like the faithful remnant, we need to remind one another that the Lord is present, He hears, and He cares. He has written the names of His beloved children in the “book of life” (Phil. 4:3). And one day, Jesus has promised that He will “acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels” (Rev. 3:5).

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