Sacrifice - Visa, MasterCard, or American Express?

Araunah said, "Take whatever you want and offer your sacrifice. Here are some oxen for the sacrifice. You can use the threshing-boards and the wooden yokes for the fire. Take them--they're yours! I hope the LORD your God will be pleased with you." But David answered, "No! I have to pay you what they're worth. I can't offer the LORD my God a sacrifice that I got for nothing." So David bought the threshing place and the oxen for fifty pieces of silver. 2 Samuel 24: 22-24 CEV

Have you balanced your sacrifice account lately? Mine has been somewhat out of whack and these verses really hit me in the face when I read them. So, I began thinking....am I in the red or in the black? Have I been offering the Lord "paid in full" sacrifices or have they been "half hearted, put that on my Visa cause I am doing the best I can" offerings?

"I can't offer the LORD my God a sacrifice that I got for nothing."

The word sacrifice means to surrender, give-up, or offer something of value that we would rather hold on to, but we let it go because of love. As parents, we know we make many sacrifices for our children. We make sacrifices for our spouse and other family members. But what about our offerings to God? How do they weigh in the balance....

• TIME – Have I given of my time freely or have I been selfishly hoarding it for my own affairs? God gives me 24 hours each day to use wisely or foolishly…it is my choice. Have I spent enough time studying God’s Word, praying for others, or just listening to that still small voice? When someone has a need, do I respond immediately, without hesitation or distraction? Or do I think, “I really don’t have time for this right now, I will pray about it later, Lord? Do I take the time to go to God’s house as often as I can or would that sacrifice interfere with other things I have planned?
  

"I can't offer the LORD my God a sacrifice that I got for nothing."

• HEART - My passions are my Saviour and my family. Do I let the cares of this life, my job, planning for the future, trying to keep up with the present, or just plain stubbornness sometimes, prevent me from sacrificing my whole heart and mind to the Lord? If God is my everything...have I given Him everything I have to give? Does my family know they are precious to me and the greatest blessing I have? When someone needs some help, am I ready, willing, and able, or do I turn aside and hope someone else takes care of the situation? Hebrews 13:16 says "And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." NASB

"I can't offer the LORD my God a sacrifice that I got for nothing."

• BODY – My body is the temple of the Lord. Have I sacrificed my earthly appetites and frailties in order to take care of this temple and stay as healthy as possible? Would God be pleased with how I have taken care of this body He made for me?
  And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. May God enable us to practice this kind of sacrifice in our own lives. Romans 12: 1-2 NLT

"I can't offer the LORD my God a sacrifice that I got for nothing."

• PRAISE - Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name. Hebrews 13:15 AMP
  Our God is so worthy to be praised! The sacrifice part comes in when we praise Him under any and all circumstances. Do I totally surrender to Him and let my praises bless the Lord and defeat the enemy? Or do I withhold praise because I had a bad day, or I am tired, or because the person next to me in the pew is just sitting there? Do I say “Hallelujah” just when things are going well or do I say “Hallelujah Anyhow” when the road is rough, times are hard, finances are low, children are lost, family is suffering, and a blessing seems so far away?
  

These questions have burned in my heart for the last week and God has shown me the many places that I have failed. I thank Him for His never ending love and everlasting mercy and most of all, for the greatest sacrifice of all - His Son, Jesus.

Psalm 116: 12-19(NLT)

What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.

I will keep my promises to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die.

O Lord, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains.

I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.

I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people— in the house of the Lord in the heart of Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!