David, who was referred to as "a man after God's own heart,"
seemed to have a way of messing up over and over again in spite of his desire to live a life totally devoted to God.
In one particular story, David chooses to take a census of his army without God's involvement and finds himself in the middle of a mess.
When David realizes that his people are suffering from a plague because of his bad decision and an angel appears with a drawn sword over Jerusalem, he goes to God and begs for the punishment to fall upon him and his family so that his people can be spared.
David understands and accepts the consequences of his mistake, and the angel commands David to build an altar at a specific place.
I love what David says to the man who owns the land where the sacrifice is suppose to happen as he attempts to pay and the owner tries to give it to him free of charge,
"I will not take for the Lord what is yours,
or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing."
David understood that a sacrifice had to cost something in order to count.
David understood that a sacrifice involved giving up, letting go, releasing his grip......................
The more I learn about being a living sacrifice for God the more I wonder just how honestly I understand that very phrase.
What have I given up for God?
What have I let go of so that God can work completely and perfectly through my life?
What I have released from my grip so that God can be glorified?
Today, I want to be fully aware of the things in my life that I cling to too tightly.
I want to be willing to loosen my fingers from anything that keeps from being all His.
I want to quit hanging on to anything that holds me back from His will, His work, His plans for me.
Look at your hands.
Look at your heart.
Ask yourself today,
"If I am a living sacrifice to God, what has it cost me?"
Like David I want to say,
"I will not sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing."
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