So into these lives, lived in hypocrisy and routine, came the prophet Malachi to speak these words of tough love. The opening verses of the book could well be described as the central dialogue of all human history. As we shall see, the Lord is proving his love in this way. The problem that is central to that dialogue is the problem of our expectations. Certain pressures bear upon us and make us ask God about his declared love for us.
Illness is one.
The weather is another. Taxes is another. As I was studying for this message last week my income tax documents lay on my desk in front of me. These are examples of external pressures. But more painful and even harder to bear and to answer are the internal struggles we all wrestle with.