THINK ON THESE THINGS - THURSDAY

SACRIFICE OF PRAISE!

Can you imagine this - a hugely big time offering deemed acceptable unto the Lord....and a one guy kills another because he put more into the offering plate?!  Never happen, you say? Well this is precisely what occurred when one son of Adam killed the other one over "church"! The entire account is written down in Genesis 4:1-8.


However, this is such a significant milestone in the history of Worship, that God wanted it mentioned again in Hebrews 11: 4 NKJV "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks". 


As we start a brief look at what "Faith is..." the Lord immediately shows us what it is not! Faith is NOT how much you bring, but how much of YOU you bring to offer the Lord! If you look at the original words and their meanings, in both Genesis and Hebrews, the Lord simply looked upon the offering Abel made unto Him with great pleasure.


We see from both the Genesis 4 and Hebrews accounts, Abel offered his sacrifice with "enthusiasm"....or "In God" (enthusiasm is from the words: en - in,  Theos- GOD)! What immediately follows the word sacrifice in this verse in Hebrews 11:4 gives an incredible answer. The Lord smiled on Abel's offering because Abel was righteous.


Righteous is a HUGE word in God's economy. If today you hear His Voice, harden not your hearts because He was called you out to be His. Therefore you are one of the elect - you are saved and made right before God. Righteousness, or right standing before God counts more than the size of the check you are able to write. It counts more than WHAT you're able to throw in the collection box or to give to Missions. The ideal is to be able to do both, but remember Jesus said the poor widow with her two "mites" put more into the offering box of the temple than anyone else.


Today, as you feel bogged down by life's decisions and attempt to leverage one bill to be paid over another.....today, as you even flirt with the idea of NOT taking your full 10% tithe right off the top, gross salary.....today, as you say to yourself "God does not need my money".....if you're thinking about all things today - DON'T! Just DON'T!


God does not need your money or mine, but He is looking for outward acts of obedience which reflect the Faith He put in us, by choosing us to be His sons and daughters. The least we can do is to testify to His Great Gift of Christ....and this is done by offering ourselves daily, as a sacrifice of Praise! Glory to His Name!

READ AND PRAY THROUGH AS MUCH AS PSALM 34 HERE, AS THE SPIRIT LEADS!