Giving My Best to the Lord

As I continue to read in the Old Testament I am amazed how the Lord will use it to teach and speak to me very simply. I have to say that reading about how the Israelites were to make offerings to the Lord in detail would be easy to just skip through. As I read this morning I asked the Lord to teach me through these passages. He never fails to give us wisdom and guidance through scripture when we simply ask.

As I read about how the Lord required the best for sacrifice, I evaluate if I’m giving my best to the Lord. These are ways I feel we can give our best to the Lord…

*Time – do we give him the first fruits of our time or what is left over? Do we rush into our day without His guidance? Do we spend uninterrupted time getting to know Him and worshipping Him? Worship is not only for Sunday morning. I have to admit that my time with the Lord the last several months has been hit and miss. I’ll have a couple good mornings with Him and then I’ll be busy the next two. It is my desire to create a schedule in my life that allows me to leisurely be with the Lord every morning before the craziness starts. You have my permission to ask me how I’m doing to keep me accountable to this. Oh, how my days are so much better when I take the time to sit at the Lord’s feet.

*Money –Do we give the first fruits of our resources back to Him since He is the giver of it anyways? Do we say we don’t have enough to tithe yet still get that Starbucks coffee every morning or go out to eat each week?

*Teaching our children – Do we follow Deuteronomy’s command to talk to our children about the Lord when we sit at home, when we walk along the road (or drive in the car), when we lie down and get up? Or do we just get in one time…like right before bed? This is another area that I tend to skip when we are busy or just do a quick 5 minute devotional. Jeff does a bedtime story each evening but we need to be sprinkling it more into our regular routine. I need to be giving my best to the Lord in this area…my children’s souls are at stake.

*Thoughts – do we take every thought captive or let them run wild? Oh, this is a huge area the Lord is working on in me!

*Words – are we speaking life or death into those around us? Proverbs 18:21 says the tongue has the power of life or death. Do I speak words of life to my kids and husband? Sometimes I don’t even realize I’m speaking poison on to them until it’s too late. Even in my words, am I sharing life with those around me through Jesus Christ as Savior?

I have to say that I have some work to do. I have good intentions but the Lord isn’t going to honor intentions. He desires obedience. Even though it does take time to learn a new habit and make changes, I know He will bless what I give to Him. As I surrender more to Him, I will see more of His fruit in my life.