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Title: Gifts to God Post by: sincereheart on March 27, 2006, 08:05:55 AM Taking Your Gift to God
Have you ever received a gift from someone that looked like it had been through it all? Maybe it had some dirt, grease or coffee stains on it. Part of the wrapping paper might be torn. It had probably been in someone’s trunk underneath the groceries for some time. What do you think when you receive such a gift? How do you think God feels? Paul says in Romans 12:1 that we are to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, for this is your spiritual worship”. God wants our very lives as our gift to Him. But God may not react how we might. If you’re like me, you finally get the nerve up to wrap up your life and take it to God. As you’re taking the gift to Him, you notice others are taking their gift also. Theirs looks so much prettier than yours. In fact, seeing the other gifts makes you realize that you forgot to put a bow on it, so you take your life back and find a suitable bow. Finally you begin to approach God again, only to find out that others took back their lives and removed the purchased bow and replaced it with a beautiful ribbon and hand-tied bow that makes your gift look cheap. So you take back your life once more to try to wrap it prettier. The day finally comes when your gift is completely ready. Your bow is now replaced with ribbons and hand-tied bows. The signature card is there also. Yes, your life is definitely ready to go. Just as you’re about to approach God with your gift, you realize that the wrapping paper has a tear on the underneath side, a flaw that certainly God will notice and be less than impressed with. You start to turn back to rewrap it again, but God catches your eye and smiles at you. You can’t turn back now. You feel so ashamed at your gift. You were hoping that the fancy wrapping would overshadow the empty value of the life that is inside. Now, even the fancy wrapping is less than perfect. You walk towards God, unable to hold your head up, knowing that your gift, your life, is unsuitable for the King of Kings, especially considering the Life that He gave you. As you humbly hand your gift to God, He smiles again as He takes it. He carefully slides the ribbon off the sides and removes the bow, setting them gently aside. He slides His fingers under the tape, making sure that He doesn’t tear the paper. You still can’t watch as He opens the box. He peers in, takes out your life with all its flaws, all its imperfections, yes, even all its sins. A broad smile sweeps across His face as He exclaims, “How did you know?!? It’s just what I’ve always wanted.” by Jim Schinnerer http://www.aworshipleader.org/CommunionTalks.asp?id=1 Title: Re: Gifts to God Post by: sincereheart on March 27, 2006, 08:10:56 AM Through Jesus, therefore,
let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise— the fruit of lips that confess his name. ~Hebrews 13:15 Title: Re: Gifts to God Post by: sincereheart on March 27, 2006, 08:12:53 AM And do not forget to do good and to share with others,
for with such sacrifices God is pleased. ~Hebrews 13:16 Title: Re: Gifts to God Post by: sincereheart on March 27, 2006, 08:15:20 AM I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. ~Psalm 54:6 Title: Re: Gifts to God Post by: sincereheart on March 27, 2006, 08:22:16 AM You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. ~Psalm 51:16-17 Title: Re: Gifts to God Post by: sincereheart on March 27, 2006, 08:23:48 AM Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy. ~Psalm 107:22 Title: Re: Gifts to God Post by: sincereheart on March 27, 2006, 08:28:42 AM These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.
God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Hebrews 11:39-40 Title: Re: Gifts to God Post by: sincereheart on March 27, 2006, 08:32:18 AM As you come to him,
the living Stone— rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ~1 Peter 2:4-5 Title: Re: Gifts to God Post by: sincereheart on March 27, 2006, 08:37:05 AM 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. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~Romans 12:1-2 |