Faith Capsule:<\/b> Blessing of costly sacrifice cannot be denied.<\/p>\n
2 Samuel 24<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Sacrifice is described as the surrender of something desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim. Sacrifice can be offering self (giving self) to serve God. \u00a0In God\u2019s command demands living a life of service\/sacrifice. God called for the deliverance of the Israelites from the bondage of over four hundred years for Him to be served. The bible recorded God\u2019s calling of the Israelites, \u201c<\/i><\/b>\u2026When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.\u201d (Exodus 3:12) <\/i><\/b>The same message was relayed to Pharaoh through Moses in Exodus 3:18<\/i><\/b>, \u201c\u2026The <\/i><\/b>Lord<\/i><\/b> God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days\u2019 journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the <\/i><\/b>Lord<\/i><\/b> our God.\u201d (Exodus 3:18)<\/i><\/b> Evidently sacrifice and serve is same when it comes to giving self to God. Sacrifice demands a self-less way of living life. Ones that are self-full do not have space for God to occupy in their life. Sacrifice is often painful because it is costly. When sacrifice is short of being costly it becomes unreasonable sacrifice to God. Prayer for today:<\/b> Ask God for the understanding to know and to give reasonable sacrifice.<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Faith Capsule: Blessing of costly sacrifice cannot be denied. 2 Samuel 24 Sacrifice is described as the surrender of something desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim. Sacrifice can be offering self (giving self) to serve God. \u00a0In God\u2019s command demands living a life of service\/sacrifice. God … Continue reading SACRIFICE IS COSTLY<\/span>
\nOnce, David rejected the gift of sacrificial materials offered to him by King Araunah. David\u2019s excuse for not receiving the gift was based on avoiding rendering a sacrifice which does not cost him. The bible recorded conversation between King Araunah and David concerning the gift, \u201cLet my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him. Look, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen for wood. All these, O king, Araunah has given to the king.\u201d (2 Samuel 24:22-23)<\/i><\/b> David, a man after God\u2019s own heart must be operating with understanding of what it means to give a reasonable sacrifice to God when he responded to Araunah\u2019s free sacrificial materials stating, \u201cNo, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the <\/i><\/b>Lord<\/i><\/b> my God with that which costs me nothing.\u201d So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. \u00a0<\/sup>And David built there an altar to the <\/i><\/b>Lord<\/i><\/b>, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the <\/i><\/b>Lord<\/i><\/b> heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.\u201d (2 Samuel 24:24-25)
\n<\/i><\/b>David paid the price of sacrifice when he rejected free sacrificial material. David, by knowing the heart of his God he could not offer a sacrifice that does not cost him. Are you an acclaimed believer that always wants to be at the receiving end and not willing to pay any price; not willing to engage costly sacrifice before claiming the promises of God? A blessing of a costly sacrifice to God is undeniable by any agent of the devil. Render a reasonable sacrifice to God and receive your blessing.<\/p>\n