How often have I heard the phrase, “what have you done for me lately”. This is looking at the actions of today as opposed to looking at the actions of yesterday or into the future.

“⁵When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. ⁶It shall be eaten the same day you offer it or on the day after, and anything left over until the third day shall be burned up with fire.” – Leviticus 19:5-6 (ESV)

When I read these verses, I though of the phrase from the first sentence I wrote this morning. I have to stay rooted in the present to be sure that I focus on the Lord’s work. I can plan for the future, and learn from the past, but I have to stay in the present.

God told Moses to speak with the Israelites and give them this message related to sacrifices. Taking myself to God should be a daily occurrence and not left to the once or twice per year or, only when I feel like I have committed a big misgiving. God is here for me now and wants me to commune with him daily.

In my commune with God, He forgives my sins and refreshes my soul. I am able to put the past “behind” me and look to the future with positive anticipation. When I have spent my daily time with God, I am able to focus on pleasing Him and everything else is able to be washed away or minimized into something manageable for me to take care of tomorrow.

When you look at your actions, where are you focused? Are you looking at today, tomorrow, yesterday? What if you gave everything to God today and focused on Him and allowed Him to take care of it all?

I believe sometimes the word sacrifice loses its meaning.

Sacrifice: “to suffer loss of, give up, renounce, injure, or destroy especially for an ideal, belief, or end” – Merriam-Webster Online

They ate unleavened bread for 7 days to the point that if they did eat, they were cut off.

“¹⁵Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.” – Exodus 12:15 (ESV)

What a state of affairs, and look at the sacrifice, remove the leaven completely from the home so as to make sure there was no backsliding.

And then there was the sacrifice of a lamb. And the blood of the lamb was to be spread on the doorpost of the home. Would I have done such a thing? What about today, would I sacrifice the way people look at me by spreading blood on my doorpost?

“²⁶And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ ²⁷you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for e passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.” – Exodus 12:26-27 (ESV)

I remember the passover and I remember the lamb sacrifice at that time, but do I really put it all together the sacrifice to God for the sake of my forgiveness?

What about you, do you remember? Are you aware of the sacrifice that was realized at that time? What about today, would you sacrifice as they did?

In today’s society contracts are sealed with papers and lawyers and filings and all other sorts of legal actions. In the day of Jacob, there was a sacrifice to God.

“⁵³The God of Abraham and God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.’ So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac, ⁵⁴and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country.” – Genesis 31:53-54 (ESV)

Jacob had been pursued by Laban for 7 days for what Laban believed to be true. In the interest of trust and integrity, Jacob allowed Laban to search his tents and belonging for what he believed to be true. When Laban was unable to confirm what he believed to be true, he and Jacob had a discussion, and I stress the word discussion, to hash some things out.

After the discussion was completed Jacob and Laban had come to an agreement and that was sealed a covenant, and then Jacob sacrificed to God to seal the deal. The deal was sealed in front of the kinsmen of both Jacob and Laban as witnesses to the deal, with the truest of witnesses being God.

The sacrifice was to God as the sealing of the covenant between two men. I have to think what are we doing in the world today when we have to file papers, motions, legal documents, and the like to come to an agreement on even the smallest of items. Why are we not able to simply have a hand shake before God to seal the deal? (Trust that I am not completely naive.)

I wonder how much more dedicated to the deal we would be when simply realizing that with every deal, God is watching? And what if we realized that our handshake is our sacrifice of honor to the deal that God is watching over and witness? I have witness with many “deals” that before the ink is even dry, someone is working to find the loophole when what everyone should be looking at is how to continue to honor the deal.

What are some deals that have happened around you that could have been hashed out and sealed with a simple handshake? Have you found yourself looking for the loophole? What if we believed in the sacrifice before God to seal the deal?

Diversity and inclusion are the words of corporations and of society. It has become popular to tout these as values. I do believe that we should embrace the diversity that surrounds us.

“¹²For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” – 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (ESV)

I read this verses and they scream of diversity. And as I continue through this passage in 1 Corinthians, I see even more that confirms my belief of diversity that is rooted in the word of God. Paul uses an analogy of our physical human form to speak of the importance all our full body.

“¹⁷If the whole body were and eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?” – 1 Corinthians 12:17 (ESV)

I would be doing it wrong by trying to make everyone like me. Even my boys that God entrusted me to raise, are individuals in their own right. I should raise them to be as such. Yes, it is my responsibility to teach them right from wrong and how to do things, but who they are and the gifts they bring are what make them valuable to God and to society.

“¹⁸But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them as he chose.” – 1 Corinthians 12:18 (ESV)

There are additional verses past 18 in this passage, but this verse is the culmination of my study today. I was chosen by God for a certain purpose. I am unique as God has created me. Those around me are unique as God created them, and each have their certain purpose as chosen by God.

Diversity and inclusion are certainly a couple of buzz words in corporations and society, but the concepts of them are not new. It is my responsibility to embrace the differences among us as God created.

How are you different from those around you? What makes you unique and are you aware that you have a certain purpose? Can you see that we are created for God’s purpose?

Jesus was not a larger than life personality and was not revered for His physical strength or status among the people. In fact He came from humble beginnings, born in a manger to a carpenter and very young mother. Jesus was average by the world standards and yet is our Savior and sits at the right hand of God.

“²⁶For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. ²⁷But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; ²⁸God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, ²⁹so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” – 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (ESV)

I know that is a pretty long passage, but I felt it was certainly relevant. Whereas Jesus came from humble beginnings, so did the people of Corinth, and frankly I did too. I will say that when I first looked at this passage, I started with verse 27 and saw the “foolish…to shame the wise” and had to dig deeper. I was confused as should I not seek wisdom and guidance as opposed to foolishness? So I went to the beginning of the passage at verse 18 and found the truth.

I am not necessarily “foolish”, or “weak”, or “low and despised” or “not”, I am just looked at as so from the worlds standards. I am not of noble birth, I am not the biggest, fastest, strongest, richest, or most powerful. I am a simple Christ follower working to do His work. God is using me in all of my lowness according to the world to conquer and demonstrate the truth of God.

What is your stature in this world? Are you considered high or low by the world standard? If you are considered lower, are you aware that God chose you because of your stature not in spite of it?

There is no doubt that as Christians, we suffer each and every day with persecution, adversity, and down right meanness from others.

This morning as I read in the book of Mark, I see that desolation is coming and we are instructed to run get away as soon and quickly as possible. But then comes the part that is so lovely and calming from our Lord.

“²⁰And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.” – Mark 13:20 (ESV)

Me, as a child of God, am going to be spared the length of suffering in those days. When the desolation and destruction come from Satan here on earth, I will be rescued by God so that my suffering is shortened.

What a wonderful thought and comfort that I have already punched my ticket. I liken it to the time spent in the gym. Lifting, running, stretching, and working hard and painfully, only to experience a healthier and longer life. It may take some time to realize the change and frankly while on the journey, the change may not be noticed. But continue on suffering in the gym and ultimately, the result is realized.

I have punched my ticket with all of the suffering, persecution, and adversity as a child of God and that suffering is oh so worth it for the reward I receive.

Are you seeing the suffering today? Will you continue to press on for the reward you will receive? Will your suffering be shortened by the work you do for Christ today?

I am one of those people that used to think, “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself”. Whereas this is certainly a noble concept, it is not very sustainable and really what am I teaching others.

“¹⁷Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ‘What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.’” – Exodus 18:17-18 (ESV)

Moses had been sitting from morning til night each day working as mediator and judge over the people, in addition to providing the word of God. Again, this is very noble and he should be commended for his dedication to the people. But, wouldn’t his time be put to better use by working to provide the word of God as opposed to sitting and working through the minor squabbles of the people of Israel. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing and offered that advice to him.

“²⁴So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. ²⁵Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ²⁶And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.” – Exodus 18:24-26 (ESV)

This is a great example of delegation and empowerment. Moses took the advice of his father-in-law and separated out the smaller thing and delegated them to those that were closer to the situation. This freed him up to handle the more significant matters and more importantly, the ability to provide the word of God to the people more consistently.

I have learned that I cannot do it all myself, and I have to okay with allowing others to take on some things, even if they are not done the way I would have done them. My way is not always the best way. I should be there to provide guidance, however I should allow others to do the work (the small matters) and them provide feedback and coaching when necessary (the more significant matters).

Have you been doing “all” the work because others “don’t do it right”? What would happen if you allowed them to take on some of the smaller things? Will you choose some to do the work and free you up for the larger, more significant items?

In my life I have many choices to make and the reasons for my decision is often selfish. I want to have something. I want to experience something., I want this or I want that.

“¹¹So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.” – Genesis 13:11 (ESV)

When I look at this verse and only this verse, I see that Lot made the decision to take the fertile lands that would be beneficial to his family. What is not seen is the choice that Abram made in allowing Lot to choose.

Abram’s and Lot’s herdsmen had been quarreling related to the land for the livestock of each man’s possession. Abram wanted the quarreling to stop and therefore he offered to have Lot take his choice of the land.

“⁹Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right had, then I will go to the left.” – Genesis 13:9 (ESV)

I see that Abram made the unselfish choice while Lot immediately found the best in his view and chose accordingly. Now, I do not blame Lot for his choice as he was choosing for his needs, but where was his thought for others. His chose was a selfish one and he certainly took the “easy road”.

Abram chose to give to Lot knowing that God would ultimately provide for he and his family. Abram thought of others prior to himself and was rewarded.

“¹⁴The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, ¹⁵for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.’” – Genesis 13:14-15 (ESV)

I have to remember that my choices are important to me and my family. They must be from the point of first providing for others. God will take care of me and my family and I have to hang my hat on that fact. My/our needs will be met by my Lord in the time He declares. And all of this starts with the reasons for my choices being grounded in thinking of others first.

What kind of decisions are you encountering each day? When you think about those decisions, who is first in your choice of helping, others or yourself? What are the reasons for the choices you are making?

This morning as I study, I am reminded to be gracious and seasoned in my communication of Christ. I am responsible to spread the gospel, and do so in a way that is structured, tempered, and useful. Paul writes in Colossians:

“⁵Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ⁶Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” – Colossians 4:5-6 (ESV)

These words are in his final instructions to the Colossians. I find them to be eye opening as a part of that final instruction and wrap up to the letter. Here is what is said in the commentary of my NIV:

“No matter how much sense the message makes, we lose our effectiveness if we are not courteous… ‘Seasoned with Salt’ means that what we say should be ‘tasty’ and should encourage further dialogue.”

Passion for the Word of God is certainly needed and should be demonstrated. That passion should not be wasted on forceful words and actions. I have to harness that passion and put it to good, thoughtful use so that I am able to reach others and draw them in as opposed to pushing them away.

Gracious actions and communication will yield deeper results than only those on the surface and used in manipulation. I think of zealots in society and how they speak and act to please a certain group. Those that do not listen or believe them, are considered “lost” and eventually pushed out/away for not following. God’s Word is inspiring and my approach must be one of inspiration as well. I have to remember that is was so important, that Paul left it in his final instructions to the church in Colossae.

When you are entering an interaction, what thoughts do you have surrounding your communication and actions? Are you prepared to be ‘courteous’ and ‘seasoned with salt’? Is your approach to spreading the gospel one of grace and inviting to others?

I have a choice of whether to come to God or continue on my own. I know and have studied that God is waiting on me to come to Him. He wants me to commune with Him.

Chapter 5 of the book of Amos is titled “Seek the Lord and Live” in my ESV Bible. Here I am led to understand that God wants me to seek Him and it culminates in verses 14 and 15.

“¹⁴Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. ¹⁵Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” – Amos 5:14-15 (ESV)

God has not given up on me and it is not too late for me to come to Him. I always have the chance to repent and return to God. Even in the New Covenant, Christ died so that I did not have to suffer with my sins. I can repent and follow Him and I will be saved. The thief being crucified with Jesus repented before he died and received the grace of God. Why not me, as I am not at the point of dying yet?

I have time, however I need to make the decision for time is running out. How much time do I have, I don’t know, but that time is running out. I choose to come to Christ and the grace he gives.

What about you, are you aware that you still have time to repent and come to Christ? Will you seek Him and live? Will you accept the grace that God has for each of us?