April 5, 2017

April 5, 2017

Romans 12:1

"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."

What is worship to you?

Clapping during a fun song during church?

Singing to the hymns in Bible class?

Making sure your hands are folded and eyes closed during prayer in Sunday School?

Making sure you read your Bible at least on Sundays and Wednesdays?

Those are all well and good, but God says that the only true and proper worship is to offer your bodies as a "living sacrifice." Reading your Bible once or twice a week isn't what God is asking for from you. He wants more. He wants you to come as you are. Just be completely open and vulnerable with Him. With your scars and your bruises. He wants you to pick up your cross. Follow Him. 

What does that even mean?

It means that you give everything that you have to God, not just a little bit. In the story of Cain and Abel, Cain worked in the fields with the soil, and Abel kept flocks. When it was time to give an offering to God, Cain brought only SOME of the fruits of the soil as an offering. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked upon Abel with favor, but did not look on favor with Cain. Abel gave God the best of what he had, and Cain only gave a little.

You need to give your heart, your body, your soul, all that you are. You have to surrender everything to Him, because that is "holy and pleasing to God."

So how do you do that?

For me, when I raise my hands in the air during songs at ignition, or at camp, or even at church, that's a BIG DEAL. I never really raise my hands... And maybe I should more often, but when I do, that's when something inside totally just snaps in the best way possible, and I feel God.  Or another thing I love to do to really get down and give God everything I've got is go outside and sing for Him. I have done that since I was very very young.  I used to go out there and make songs up off the top of my head, and sing my little lungs out. Now, there are songs I know by heart and can just close my eyes, feel the sun and the breeze all over me, and really feel close to Him.  It feels wonderful to know that God is right there. He's right next to me. Music is my escape, and I can go to Him. I need to work on prayer more, because prayer is another form of amazing worship, where you can be completely vulnerable with God, and He'll listen to you.

The whole point of this devotional is for you to boil it down and really think about how you worship God.

Are you giving everything you have to God? Or are you being like Cain, who only brought the bare minimum? Think this week about how you could give God more of you.