“There is always a heavy demand for fresh mediocrity. In every generation the least cultivated taste has the largest appetite.” (Thomas Bailey Aldrich, 1903)
“Life’s like a play: it’s not the length, but the excellence of the acting that matters.” (Seneca, Roman philosopher and writer of tragedies, 4 B.C. – A.D. 65)
If we wish to please God, we must give Him only the very best we have to offer. Work done in His Name should be done industriously and carefully. Considering God our Employer, it is imperative that we produce top quality products. Heaven’s extraordinary standard of excellence demands zero defects.
As believers in Christ, we should not even think of offering leftover time, a tarnished mind, a divided heart, or a dissolute body. God would not accept blind, crippled, diseased, or defective animal sacrifices from the Hebrews; and He is not pleased with second-rate offerings from us.
God must be especially unhappy when we promise our finest effort, then live half-heartedly. We go to great pains to impress earthly supervisors; how much more should we conscientiously serve the King of kings! Here is the freewill offering our Master deserves—our heart in prayer, our voice in song, our hands in helpfulness, our feet in energetic enterprise, our mind in sharp thinking, and our spirit in trusting optimism.
When we stand before our King, all we have done for His great cause will be worth it. He will reward us with far more than a paycheck—His smile will light up our face for eternity.
“If you bring a peace offering to the Lord from the herd or flock, whether to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, you must offer an animal that has no physical defects of any kind.” (Leviticus 22:21 NLT)
Johnny R. Almond
Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity
[This devotion based on Day 71 of Gentle Whispers]
Interim Pastor, Nomini Baptist Church; Montross, Virginia
Blog http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/
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