If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. Leviticus 1:3
People will often sacrifice a lot of things in order to get something that they strongly desire. This can be seen in sports or other activities people like to do.
Others will sacrifice something out of love for someone else. In this can often be seen the appearance of love, though lacking. The offering is not really a sacrifice, but just getting rid of something not wanted.
God said that anyone who was to offer a burnt offering must offer an animal that is without any defect to be acceptable to Him.
Giving things to people is commonly seen in most communities. People try to help other people out in their needs. However, the giving is often done with things that are no longer wanted or needed. There is no real sacrifice in the giving.
In the church, many believers will give to God in the same way. Although today believers do not need to offer any animal sacrifices, other types of sacrifices can be offered up to God. Sacrifices of time, money, energy, praise, resources, prayer and more are a few things that believers can offer.
Many believers, however, will only offer the leftovers, after they have had their own personal fill. They give of some of their energy, but only after they have been spent relaxing on their own and there is no longer any real energy left. There are defects in the offering.
Instead of giving of the leftovers, believers should give what is their best without any defects. Give first to God and He will return what one needs pressed down and running over.
God has blessed you with many things. It may not be as much as someone else, but it is more than yet someone else. Be willing to take the best of what you have been blessed with and offer it as a sacrifice unto God to use as He sees need of.
Do not offer what you no longer want as a sacrifice. That is only using God as a garbage dump to get rid of what is unwanted.
What can you offer up to God as a sacrifice today?
Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will sacrifice your best for God’s use; that you will honor God with all of your life and possessions; and that you will see God’s provision in your life as you give to Him.
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