God's Perfect Love

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)

When I was a young boy, I think 5 or 6 years of age, I was caught right in the middle of a vicious dog fight... My grandparents owned a property in Mountain View and I had an aunty and uncle that lived there. They have a son who is just about my age, and I would go up there every chance I had to hang out with my cousin. This property was pretty big and there were domestic and farm animals and lots of pasture land. One day as I was standing at the gate that led out to the pasture, the sound of dogs barking came at me from both sides. Before I even knew what was going on, I'm suddenly scooped up safely in the arms of my dad who must have been nearby and saw what was about to take place. One of the dogs clamped on to the calf of one of my dad's legs, and he had a very visible scar there the rest of his life. My dad had an instinctive, natural reaction. For he saw that I was in harms way and he was my substitute that day because of his love for me. He didn't think twice about the wound he would surely receive, it was my wellness he thought about. He would do anything possible to make sure that I'd be safe. I think that our Heavenly Father surely has a love for us that is like that. When we are adults and no longer have our parents to protect us, we have a Father who looks at us always as His children. And because He is all knowing, He sees what will take place, and He became our substitute on the cross so we could live and be made well. Because my dad lovingly saved me that day I was safe and healthy, and because Jesus came to the earth and was beaten and whipped, I am healed, healthy and whole!

Father God, I am so grateful for all that You've done, all You do and all that You are about to do. I pray that I may use my life to please You, through Your Holy Spirit, and make the most of the gift You so generously gave which is Your Son Jesus for my life. Amen

Living Sacrifice

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Romans 12:1 (NIV)

In my experience, one of the greatest things here on earth is the desire to worship our Lord. The act of worshiping our Creator and our Savior brings me joy, peace, love, courage, wisdom, strength, and the list goes on. Now, when I think of worship I think of raising hands & singing a song to the Lord, making a joyful noise. As it says here in Romans 12:1 that offering ourselves as living sacrifices is an act of worship. But what does that mean, to offer ourselves as living sacrifices? The way I view it as is this: God has created us for a great number of things. He wants us to have fun and enjoyment. He gave us a great multitude of gifts and talents so that we may accomplish and do amazing things. But because He also gave us the free will to use our hands to do what we want, we have this to ask ourselves--- what is it that we want? Do we want to use our God-given abilities to glorify Him, or to glorify ourselves? There is a strong pull at times to want to be given the credit, thinking that it's due to me, or if it weren't for me, me, me...! But that's where I'm finding that removing myself from the equation, because it's not about me, is actually freeing. Using my gifts and talents, using my abilities to make someone else's day brighter, lift another person up, and do it all in the name of Jesus frees me. I take the focus off of myself, which also lifts the burden. I think that even carrying a great talent and crediting it to yourself, is a burden. Offer yourself as a living sacrifice, and let the Lord use you for what He desires. The things that He'll do through you are much greater than we can even imagine! We'll be astonished at what we can do in Him, whereas, if I only do things in myself and for myself, it won't be so spectacular.

Heavenly Father, Holy is Your name in all this earth. May I always live my life with the desire to honor and worship You, not only in song but also in offering You my life as a living sacrifice. I give You thanks Lord for all the great works You have done, all that You do and for what You are going to do. In Jesus' mighty name. Amen