I have been asked, for the sake of our blog site, to use plain text....no stationary with beautiful colors, pictures, something that creates an emotion and stirs the soul. For some of you more left brained folks this may be just fine ,but for those of us right brained people who crave beauty and art like we crave that warm, just out-of-the-oven, homemade chocolate chip cookie this is a bit of a struggle.......a sacrifice.
SACRIFICE- Giving up something highly valued for the sake of something considered to have greater value.
What do you know about sacrifice? Some of you probably know A-LOT! Have you ever been asked to sacrifice something? I wish I could sit down for coffee (with lots of creamer) with each one of you and hear your personal stories of sacrifice. Have you ever been on the receiving end of that most beautiful word? Well- whether you know it or not ,you most certainly have.
"But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the SACRIFICE of himself. Just as man is destined to die once and after that face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he WILL appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those WHO ARE WAITING FOR HIM." Hebrews 9:26-28
"My dear children, I write this to youso that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning SACRIFICE for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:1 & 2
JESUS CHRIST GAVE UP HIS LIFE (THAT WHICH WAS HIGHLY VALUED) FOR THE SAKE OF PRESENTING YOU TO GOD AS "BLAMELESS & FAULTLESS" AND HAVING YOU WITH HIM IN HEAVEN FOREVER ( THE SOMETHING CONSIDERED TO HAVE GREATER VALUE).
It is in believing and understanding all that Jesus has done for us that we then can offer our own sacrifices, which He asks of us. Jesus himself said this,
" The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me." John 14:31
"Therefore I urge you, brothers(sisters) in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship." Romans 12:1
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that confess his name." Hebrews 13:15
May I encourage you today to either refresh yourself or seek to understand for the first time what Jesus gave up for you. Seek to understand just how much He loves you and wants you to live life with Him here and now and in heaven forever. Let it sink deep into your heart just how valuable you and your soul must be if Jesus thought that you being with him was worth MORE than his own life. As you let that TRUTH linger and sink WAY, WAY DOWN, then may I encourage you to offer yourself as a "living sacrifice". What does that mean? What does that look like? Well- it can mean many things and look like all sorts of things. I believe that is question all of us have to bring before God asking Him what that looks like for us, personally. Something that is a huge sacrifice to me may not be to you and vice versa. It is no sacrifice at all for me to stay home with my children. I have wanted to be a mom all of my life. Perhaps for some of you it would be a huge
sacrifice giving up a career for a time (something highly valued) for the sake of investing hugely into the lives of your children (of greater value). I'M NOT SAYING MOMS SHOULD NOT WORK! PLEASE, DON'T HEAR ME SAY THAT. But it is possible that God may ask you to make a sacrifice for a time in that area. It is a huge sacrifice for me to let go of some of my own opinions, my own will, my own sinful desires (highly valued) for the sake of obeying God and bringing glory to His name (of greater value). It is a sacrifice for me to not use stationary (highly valued) for the sake of these going to the blog site more easily (of greater value). May I encourage us (myself included....I'm being very convicted right now) to be women of sacrifice for the sake of His Name!
May we, out of a depth of love for the Creator of the Universe and the Rescuer of our souls, be able to say this with all integrity:
" I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that COST ME NOTHING." 2 Samuel 24:24
Blessings from Bombadil. May your soul be watered and may you water another's soul. Kristy Joy Link
