I am your Father and Master, yet you don't honour Me.--Malachi 1:6 TLB

When the Israelites asked God, "How are we dishonouring You?" He replied
through Malachi: (a) By cheating me out of your finances; by taking your
prize animals to market for top dollar, but bringing blind, lame and
half-dead ones to my altar ( Malachi 1:7-8). (b) By cheating your fellow
man - paying absurdly low wages, making life economically impossible for
single parents, and treating illegal immigrants unjustly ( Malachi 3:5).
(c) By cheating on your mate. Divorce was rampant. Listen: "You weep...
because [the Lord] no longer pays attention... You ask, 'Why?'...
because you have broken faith with her, though she is... the wife of
your marriage covenant" ( Malachi 2:13-14 NIV).

God told them in essence: "You rebel against Me, then expect Me not to
be affected. Well, excuse Me, I'm deeply affected. Your sin breaks My
heart. It's betrayal. The barriers you put up have got to come down. We
can have no real fellowship unless you're willing to obey Me - totally."

The amazing thing is, God Himself wants to help pull down those
barriers. Today He holds out His arms to us saying, "Come now, let us
reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow" ( Isaiah 1:18 NIV). The Good News is
that you can come back into fellowship with God right now. All you have
to do is pray: "Father, forgive me. I want to turn from my sin and
rebuild my relationship with You." The moment you pray that prayer, God
will restore you and you'll be back on track again.