A Big-Show amounts to nothing

 

“A curse on the person who makes a big show of doing something great for me—an expensive sacrifice, say—and then at the last minute brings in something puny and worthless! I’m a great king, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, honoured far and wide, and I’ll not put up with it!” - Malachi 1:14

Talk is cheap. Actions are the real test of whether our talk is worth anything or not!
In Malachi 1:14, God shows is irritation with people who make a "big show" of doing things for God, but in the end, don't follow through with this. 

I was trying to think of something to compare it with and came up with this simple example: A parent makes a big 'song and dance' about giving their child a car for their graduation gift. On the day of the graduation, the child opens  a gift, which is wrapped up in a small box. Expecting it to be the keys to a car, they are dumbfounded to find a tiny model car in the box - the promised car is only a kids toy. Can you imagine their hurt, confusion and eventual disappointment?

Is this not how God feels when people make a BIG SHOW of how they will do things for God and then when the crunch comes, they don't even come close to trying?

May we make our Advent promises real and meaningful.

Living in Grace
D3LM3