On Sacrifice

After King Solomon's prayer, and the all-consuming fire that immediately followed, the people were amazed at God's response time. 2 Chronicles 7 says that the people began to worship, saying "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever."

Now I'm not sure about you, but I'm not completely convinced that this would be my response to a literal fire breaking out after a desperate prayer for God to come and heal our land.  I can think of quite a few other emotions that would probably render me speechless/scared/FREAKED OUT/etc.  So why was it so easy for these people to just begin to worship?

Because they knew who God was and what He was capable of doing.

According to the Matthew Henry Commentary (great tool to help you study the bible btw!), the people of Israel didn't see the outbreak of fire as a frightening moment, but the recognized it as God's power choosing to consume their sacrifices instead of themselves. This is a clear picture of  God's willingness to forgive us of our own wrongdoings if we would lay down our temporary material possessions in exchange for God's mercy, grace and peace expressed through His love.

Because of Christ, this doesn't mean that we have to physically give up everything on the altar every time we make a mistake, because Christ was the ultimate sacrifice that God chose to consume on our behalf.  Still, we recognize that our possessions pale in comparison to a secure relationship with God our father, through his son Jesus.  We remember that our possessions do not bring us eternal peace, but it is right standing with Him that gives us hope, joy, and freedom to live without fear.

I recognize that the entire world does not believe the same way that I am convinced that through Christ we have access to unlimited grace and peace.  While I wish more people could have this experience, today I pray that wherever you are reading these words, from the DRC to the Czech Republic, that you would find your way to a place where the temporary things in this life do not consume you, your hopes or your dreams.  I truly pray that you can find eternal peace throughout your journey.

Today's Places: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands (no flag), Costa Rica , Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic

       

Click the flags to learn more about each place!