Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional by Kenton Cheek

13 February 2024

Reading From Leviticus 1-4

“If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect.”

“When anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord, their offering is to be of the finest flour.”

–Leviticus 1:3, 2:1

     Our journey through the Bible brings us to the bloody details of the sacrificial system laid out in the Law of Moses, also known as Mosaic Law.  The guidelines for burnt, grain, fellowship and sin offerings are given in these first four chapters of Leviticus.  What stood out to me was that for every offering, God required that the Israelites bring their very best to Him.  When I consider the awesome power and perfect holiness of the Almighty, it is no wonder that only our finest should be brought before Him.

     Thankfully, we no longer live in the ages before Jesus our Messiah came to be the ultimate sacrifice, removing the need for animal sacrifices in the Tabernacle and later the Temple through paying the wages of our sins by dying on the cross and conquering death by raising again three days later.  Today, in these New Testament times in which we live, we are to bring ourselves to God as living sacrifices.  Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform 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.” 

     When I come to Christ, I surrendered my will to Him and began a process of becoming more and more like Jesus.  That new birth experience that happens when an individual gives their heart to God, that act of surrender is an offering to Him.[1]  I essentially told God, “I don’t have much to offer You, Lord, but please take control of my life and use me for Your glory.”  From that point forward, I have wanted to honor Him.  I am not trying to somehow earn my salvation, I could never do that.  But rather, I obey God out of love for Him.  I yield my way to His way in my life because I know it’s best for me, my family and our future that I do so.[2]  

  To give our Heavenly Father my time, energy, resources, and anything else at my disposal to honor and glorify Him brings me joy.  Do I do this perfectly?  No.  Do I try every day?  Yes.[3]  And I thank God for His goodness and grace and mercy shown to me.[4]  Everyone’s best is different.  I’m thankful that He sees the intentions of our hearts and loves His children right where each of us are at.[5] Cain brought some of his produce to God as an offering, but Abel brought the best. May we make the effort to bring God our “utmost for His highest,” as Oswald Chambers titled his famous devotional book.

“Lord, thank You that You died on the cross in my place.  I praise You because You alone are worthy of all the worship I can give and so much more.  Help me to forsake my old ways of life in favor of living for You.  Renew my mind through Your Word and Your Spirit.  I pray that I would have the courage to make difficult decisions in saying no to my flesh and yes to Your way.  Show me the way forward.  Amen.”

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

–Hebrews 13:15-16

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[1] I Corinthians 6:20, Colossians 2:6

[2] Deuteronomy 12:28

[3] Lamentations 3:22-23

[4] Hebrews 4:16

[5] John 6:37, Revelation 22:17, Luke 19:10, Romans 3:23, I John 4:10