Giving God Our Best

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For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. --Romans 8:38 In the game of life, you can sometimes be your own worst enemy. And your conscience can attack you. Do you feel badly about your past? Are you haunted by the ghost of guilt? Sometimes, do you just feel like a loser? It’s pretty easy to get down on yourself when you focus on your own failures, frustrations, and inadequacies. But if you spend your life looking at past defeats and mistakes, you won’t be able to live today. When you are constantly looking at instant replay, you can’t enjoy the victory that you can have in Jesus Christ for today and tomorrow. Of course, the devil loves to bring up your past and dig up dirt on you. He wants to put a wedge of separation between you and God. But your conscience doesn’t have to keep you down. If you have asked for God’s cleansing grace, trust in His forgiveness. Trust in His faithfulness. Focus on Him. Get past the past and move on for Christ! As a Christian, you have the righteousness of Jesus Christ. When Christ died on the cross for you, He took your sin, your faults, your failure, and your defeat. Instead, He gave you His righteousness, His perfection, and His victory. Nothing in your past can change that. And most importantly, nothing in your past or present can separate you from the love of God. Put your past in the past!

Giving God Our Best

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.”

Malachi 1:6–8

The expression “close enough for government work” has been around for more than one hundred years. Originally it meant something that was almost perfect, able to meet rigorous standards and ready to be tested and put into use. But in the 1960s it became a condemnation instead. Now it refers to something that is not done as well as it could or should be done. Regardless of what human standards we may reach or fall short of, God does not accept less than our very best.

The instructions given under the law for which animals were acceptable for sacrifice were clear. “And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God”(Deuteronomy 15:21).  But by the time of Malachi, the people were giving God anything that was defective, while keeping the best for themselves. God called this “evil” and He has not changed His mind. When God gave to us, He sent the very best that He had—Himself, Jesus. Our salvation was purchased by a perfect Lamb. “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” (1 Peter 1:19).

Today's Growth Principle: 

God deserves nothing less than the very best that we can offer to Him.