My Days with Christ Jesus

Day 193

July 12
"...neither will i offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver." -2 Samuel 24:24

An offering that counts, cost.

Offering is about giving up a certain thing... and it ain't really giving if we don't lose something, or there's no expense on our part, it can be anything- money, time, effort or anything that we value.

The greatest offering we can ever give God is to offer one's self to Him, as a living sacrifice and that is something He requires from us, His followers.
And so as a Christian we are living to please God even if it does mean to lose the things we thought are good for us before we have accepted Jesus.
It maybe a person, we have to let go, a sin we need to repent of, more time for God means losing other worldly activities, ...many more.

A life glorifying God would mean renewing our minds, that is to say our old ways in this life are vain... though it means losing some things of this world but clearly it is also gaining heavenly things and being with God forever.

There has to be a certain weight to our offering, if it has not then... What's the challenge? Also if it cost us something then it will mean it has significance.

David clearly state that He will never offer unto the Lord if it cost Him nothing... for it will mean it was nothing and that He did not work for it.
Serving God requires offering unto the Lord, but all other offerings is incomparable to a life offering though other kinds of offering pleases God as well but the weight of our life, ourselves as a living sacrifice is the greatest act of sacrifice offering unto the Lord as God has given us the greatest example of sacrifice, of giving and loving was when He gave Jesus to us and made Himself the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world.

It is not offering to God if it doesn't cost us anything. That kind of offering is in vain. As I've said an offering that counts has a cost... a price to pay.

To God be the glory!