What's Your Sacrifice?

The person who cheats will be cursed. He has a male animal in his flock and promises to offer it, but then he offers to the Lord an animal that has something wrong with it. I am a great king," says the Lord All-Powerful, "and I am feared by all the nations. (Malachi 1:14)

Before Jesus' once-and-for-all sacrifice on the cross, God's people had to offer several different sacrifices every year in order to maintain their relationship with Him. There were sin offerings, thanksgiving offerings, freewill offerings, festival offerings, just to name a few. Most of these offerings involved killing animals.

But the one common thread of all of these Old testament offerings is that God expected the absolute best from His people. If the offering called for a young bull, God expected the person offering the sacrifice to use the best young bull in his herd. Not the young bull with a blemish, was crippled, or just simply was not the best of the flock.

The good thing for us is that God doesn't require us to give him animals or birds or used cell phones as an offering to Him. But that doesn't mean God still does not desire and reward sacrifice. It's a golden opportunity for all of us.

What kind of sacrifice does God want from you today?

It's very simple.

He wants us.

He wants us to give Him our heart.

He wants is to give Him our mind.

He wants us to give Him our will.

And we can do this by loving and worshipping Him.

By putting Him first in our lives.

Would you put Him first by using your money to sponsor a child in Africa instead of using what little money you have to stuff your face with pizza or a bacon-ator at Wendy's, or going to the movies every week?

Would you put Him first by serving a ministry of your church for two or three hours a week instead of wasting countless hours playing video games, getting brain-dead doing Myspace or Facebook or AIM for hours, or watching TV?

If you truly put God first in your life, give Him the best you have. God wants prime sacrifices, not your leftovers. God wants all of you, not just what you think you can spare.

Have a great and blessed day. And remember to love those in and around your life as Jesus loves you.