Malachi 1:14 (New International Version)
14 “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the LORD Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.”
Am I a cheater? Are you a cheater? My initial response was “Of course not!” The reality of this verse set in this morning when I was reading.
Romans 12:1 says that we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. We are to offer our lives. The Message version puts it like this:
Romans 12:1 (The Message)
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.
- Have I ever vowed to give something (an acceptable gift) to the Lord?
- Time, money, effort, the fruit of a blessing, a pure heart, my attitude, worship due Him, praise due Him, honest respresentation of Christ, a good witness, boldness in life situations, etc., etc., etc. – You make your own list before the Lord.
- Did I give what I vowed?
- Did I give Him what I vowed or did I “forget” or “postpone” my vow?
- Did I give Him my very best?
- Did I give a half-hearted effort?
Take away:
Here’s what the Lord showed me this morning through that laundry list I detailed… Anything but my very best, is a blemished gift before the Lord.
All I could do is to confess it before him and ask for his forgiveness in my personal sacrifice.
My prayer is this: “Lord Jesus, forgive my laziness, pride, and my serving myself in my blemished sacrifices to you. Help me take seriously my vows and promises to you. When I promise to you Lord, may I give it all I have, 100%, in order to offer you an acceptible sacrifice of my life. Amen.”
Running After Papa…