Wanted Provided

Wanted Provided

Hebrews 10: ⁸ First he said, “You neither want nor are you pleased with sacrifices and offerings or with animals burned on the altar and the sacrifices to take away sins.” He said this even though all these sacrifices are offered according to the Law. ⁹ Then he said, “Here I am, O God, to do your will.” So God does away with all the old sacrifices and puts the sacrifice of Christ in their place. ¹⁰ Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do, we are all purified from sin by the offering that he made of his own body once and for all.

 

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After a number of hot days, I noticed the duct tape was peeling on one of my car “repairs.” I finally got tired of the temporary nature of taping things together. I went to the junkyard and found a replacement part. It wiped out the few dollars I had, but fixed the car.

 

• I needed a permanent fix, but was using a temporary one.
• I got used to the temporary fix and was willing to keep doing it for a while.
• I finally reached a point where I could see the futility in a temporary fix.

 

Paul, the assumed writer, discussed the futility of animal sacrifices. GOD didn’t want those. HE wanted a pure sacrifice from a sinless human. JESUS volunteered to be the perfect sacrifice. HE said “Here I am, O GOD, to do YOUR will.”

 

My Observations:

• GOD would prefer my admission to sin versus me trying to hide the fact that I cannot follow the rules.
• GOD provided me with a way to have an everlasting relationship with HIM, namely JESUS.
• GOD got exactly what was needed by JESUS becoming a sacrifice, all HE wants me to do is recognize this act of love.

 

Trying to follow the rules feels good to me. I mean, I can measure when I “did” stuff, but I cannot measure when GOD took care of it all. I want to be part of my salvation, so I jump in with moments of abstaining from sin. I then look to GOD for my pay as if to say “See how good I was, now give me more of life’s comforts.”  HE sees through my righteousness and is forgiving.

 

GOD knew I could not handle what it would take to have a loving relationship with HIM. HE was only satisfied with the act JESUS did. This selfless act of love was just right. I am glad JESUS was just what GOD wanted.

 

Challenge

• How are we purified according to the writer?
• Have you ever thought your being “good” give you more of GOD?
• Will you focus your praise on what JESUS did so HE can guide you today?

Giving In

Luke 23: ²⁰ Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. ²¹ But they kept shouting, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’

²² For the third time he spoke to them: ‘Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.’

²³ But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate decided to grant their demand. ²⁵ He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

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Tired of being alone in the small town, I decided to hang out with coworkers. When we traveled, we ate together and I gave in to drink with them. “C’mon, have a little more” they said. After twenty two pitchers of beer between the three of us, I had to drive back to the hotel. Somehow I made it there but upon arrival the front desk person said “You have a message…The system is down you are being requested to come in.”

• In the past I gave in to what the crowd wanted.
• In the past I gave in to fit in.
• In the past I gave in to something I was against.

Pilate tried to wash his hands of sentencing JESUS to death, but the church leaders had stirred up the crowd so much that he had to acquiesce. He gave in to the crowds wishes and sentenced an innocent man to death and released a murderous rebel.

• GOD wants me to stop comparing my sins in terms of size.
• GOD wants me to do what is right when the time comes to make a decision.
• GOD wants me to stand up for what is right rather than giving in to the crowd.

Standing firm on GOD’s word is sometimes difficult. I mean if the crowd says one thing and I am the only one standing firm on following GOD, then it can feel uncomfortable. BUT GOD protects me and gives me the right words and actions to follow HIS ways. I am grateful for HIS guidance.

• Are you facing a difficult decision?
• Would the decision make you unpopular if you follow GOD’s ways?
• Will you decide to follow what GOD is telling you to do anyway, no matter the human consequence?