SCRIPTURE: The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. Proverbs 15:8.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A sinful lifestyle makes a great sacrifice worthless.
The Scripture makes it clear in our anchor text above that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.
During one of our beginning-of-the-year fast many years ago, the whole church was joyfully involved in the 21-day fast to seek the Face of the Lord regarding the rest of the year. We were all fasting and coming to church daily in the evening to pray corporately. In the course of the fast, God honoured His Word and glorified Himself. There were a lot of testimonies of what God did in the lives of His people during the fast.
However, there was a young man who also participated in the fast while at the same time living with a young lady he was not married to.
What a contradiction! What a waste of sacrifice!
Two of them would fast in the day and participate in the prayer in the church in the evening, yet they would go home to continue in immorality.
And the pathetic thing is that the young man refused to change from that lifestyle.
That lifestyle was an attack on their offerings and sacrifice. It was an attack on their consecration.
Beloved, a filthy or sinful lifestyle is an attack on your spiritual exercises and sacrifices; a sinful lifestyle makes a great sacrifice worthless.
In Zechariah 3, Joshua the high priest was going to make sacrifices before God, but he was resisted by satan because of his filthy garment.
You know, a major assignment of a priest is offering of sacrifices. But here was Joshua being resisted by satan because of his filthy garment. And God was not going to collect polluted bread from his compromised hands.
So, anytime your garment is filthy, your sacrifices are not acceptable to God. When you fast with a filthy garment on, your fasting will produce no result.
Your fasting, giving, offering, etc. are abominable to God and unprofitable to your life and destiny when your garment is filthy. What you put in the offering basket, no matter how huge, is a waste when your garment is filthy.
Remember this: A sinful lifestyle makes a great sacrifice worthless.
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Refuse to make your labour and sacrifice for the Kingdom a worthless one.
- Strive first for Divine acceptance before you offer sacrifice and offerings to God.
PRAYER: Lord, I receive the grace to present myself and my body a holy and acceptable offering to You always. I ask that You accept both myself and my sacrifices Lord, in Jesus’ Name.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: WHAT GARMENT ARE YOU WEARING?
QUOTE: When you are clothed in holy garments, you must enjoy the company of the Holy God. When you wear filthy garments, you invite the company of the filthy devil. Culled from the book, “WHO ARE YOU?” by Dr Paul Enenche.
DAILY READING: Psalm 22-24
AMAZING FACT: Nearly all colours have a physical wavelength associated with it, but the colour Magenta doesn’t.
PROPHETIC WORD (DECLARATION): Receive the grace to live continually to please the Lord in Jesus’ Name.
