Sacrifice

Just this morning I re-dedicated my life to God. No, that doesn’t mean I went to church and answered an alter-call or anything like that, it just means that on my way to work, as I walked that 2kms to the office, I started to pray, just started by thanking God for all He has done for me… a task that I think is pretty impossible, thanking Him for everything I mean, coz there is just so much… so much… But I tried, at least, I like to think that I tried. And after all that, there was really no choice in the matter; if you think about it, God has done all this for you, all that you have, that you call yours is yours because God has given it to you. That house you live in, that meal you just ate less than four hours ago, God in his infinite grace has given it to you, whether you choose to believe that or not. He gave his son for you; He gave His life for you, dying on the cross that He might pay the price for your sins, for my sins… and yet still, we have more, much more than we need; ad all He asks for is for us, just us as flawed as we are, as imperfect as we are, God loves us and will do anything for us.

I think of the sacrifices the Israelites had to make for God. There was constantly a burnt offering on the alter “for a sweet aroma to God…” the words actually used in the Bible. He asked them for all that, and because they were God’s people, they gave willingly, most of the time anyway. Now it comes to us; we are not required to offer a hundred and one sacrifices everyday to please God. No, He has asked for one sacrifice; you, me of you, as you are; offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God . But do we? Do I? sure, I try, I’m pretty sure we all have at one point or other. Problem with a living sacrifice as I read somewhere, it’s alive, and it is bound to go crawling off that alter at one point. I know I have crawled off that alter several times, more times than I can count actually. But with God’s mercy, and His grace, somewhere somehow I have almost always found it in my heart to go crawling back, feeling unworthy of His love, but crawling back nonetheless, begging for the forgiveness whose price He has already paid on the cross and for a while at least, feeling cleansed, feeling the true beauty of His love…

But something always comes by, the voice of this world seems sweeter and yes, I crawl off again. I’m not going far Lord, just want to see what its like to be off this alter for a while, I’m getting cramps just sitting here!! I say to him. But then Jesus did not have the chance to complain when He was up on that cross, no, He endured the pain, the suffering, the ridicule- and He is the King of kings, Lord of lords, who am I to complain about a little discomfort?

I could say glue yourself to that alter and never leave, never ever even think of putting a foot on the ground. That’s what it should be, true, but in this world we live in, more often than not, it seems like the hardest thing to do. Sooner or later we forget the price Jesus Christ paid for us on that cross and we hop of that alter and go for a tour of the world.

When that happens, I find it in my heart to come back to God, to climb back onto that alter and make up my mind to endure it, no matter what; after all, there is joy in serving God, joy like no other. And whenever I feel too unworthy to ask for forgiveness, I always have to remind myself that I do not have to earn it, no matter what I do, I cannot earn it, I never did in the first place; but one Man, has paid the price; for you, for me, for everyone who just believes in Him; and he is waiting for me, just for me. And he always says “Welcome...”