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In Old Testament times people understood full well what a sacrifice was. Devout Hebrews would go out to their barns, look over their flock, and take the very best, kill it and offer it to God. This was no small deal. That meant taking the very thing that would make you the most money and simply destroy it. No monetary compensation. No physical profit. Yet they realized that the value far outweighed the cost. What was at stake couldn’t be bought. What they received was forgiveness and peace with God.
Jesus became our sacrifice. He paid a debt I could not pay. Paul calls us to be living sacrifices. He calls us to give all we have to God. Not to earn his favor. Jesus did that. We give God all we have in gratitude for what He’s gives us. The problem with living sacrifices is they tend to crawl off the altar when the fire gets too hot!
Father help me to stay on the altar; to give all I have especially when times are tough. Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me the example of sacrifice. Holy Spirit, empower me to stay true. Amen.
Reflect the character of Christ in all you say, do or think!
President John F Kennedy is credited with saying “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”. In essence he borrowed heavily from a principle taken from the Holy Bible. The apostle Paul has that same principle in mind when writing to the church located in Corinth. That principle can be stated in many ways but in its simplest terms, what we get out of something is directly proportionate to what we put into it. When we stop contributing to the emotional and physical needs of personal relationships, we stop feeling fulfilled by them; when we stop putting forth our best effort at the workplace, our jobs become mundane and redundant; when we develop a consumer mentality in our churches, we “no longer feel fed/get anything out of it.” It carries over in our spiritual lives as well. When we fail to plant the seeds of prayer, scripture and corporate fellowship, we stop growing spiritually. Then we wither under the weeds of this worlds concerns and wonder where God is. A neglected field offers no crops regardless of the weather. We can’t expect God to provide fruit when we haven’t cultivated the seed. Here’s the good news. He doesn’t expect perfection, he only seeks progress. Step out. Step up. Watch him work!
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