Seeds Of Hope Daily Devotional: The Greatest Offering
It was the final night of the annual missionary conference. Many missionaries from many nations had gathered to tell of the work of God all around the world. Hearts were deeply touched, and many lives were changed.
The pastor
concluded the final service with an offering that was to be shared among the
speakers. The plates were filled with money and checks. But in one plate was a
note that simply read, “Myself.” Underneath the word “Myself” was the name and
phone number of the person who signed it.
The next day the pastor called the young man
who signed it and asked, “What do you mean, James?”
“I’m giving
myself to become a missionary,” he said. And then he added, “I’m willing to go
anywhere and do anything at any cost to serve the Lord.”
James made
an important gift to God: his body. Unfortunately, many Christians believe that
God is only concerned about our souls. Not so! We need to realize that our
bodies belong to God just as much as our souls. When we give Him our souls He
expects our bodies as well.
The body is
the temple of the Holy Spirit and is the only instrument through which the Holy
Spirit works. So, Paul says, “Take your body and think of all that it does each
day - the skills, tasks and the abilities - and offer it to God; and when you
do, follow Him where He leads You.”
Prayer:
May we realize, Father, that You expect us to give our bodies to You
just as Your only Son did. May we not limit what You can do because we fail to
surrender. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead
with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let
them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is
truly the way to worship him. Romans 12:1
