No more sacrifices!

At least, no more Old Testament sacrifices. No more killing a lamb for this or two doves for that. No more offering up the first wheat or the best grapes or the tastiest olives.

The time of such sacrifices is past, their purposes having been fulfilled in Jesus.

But I still have a type of sacrifice to offer:

“Offer the sacrifices of righteousness…” (Psalm 4:5).

My right living is a sacrifice to God and for God.

When I choose to be kind rather than to be mean or to ignore, I offer a sacrifice to God.

When I do my duties and do them well, I sacrifice to God.

When I obey, cooperate, submit, pray, encourage, commend, and on and on…I bring a sacrifice to God.

In other words, doing right and living the Christ life is a sacrifice of righteousness.

What do I do when problems and troubles increase and surround me?

What do I do when adversaries and detractors multiply around me?

Fuss? Complain? Fret? Bawl? Seethe? Steam? Stew? Collapse? Explode? Attack? Hide? Plot? Cower?

God just got done showing me (again) what I should do.

“I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill” (Psalm 3:4).

I didn’t much. I forgot a lot. I was too busy doing some of those other things.

But I purpose to do better, believing that…

…He knows.

…He cares.

…He hears.