OFFERINGS THAT ATTRACT DIVINE BLESSINGS

OFFERINGS THAT ATTRACT DIVINE BLESSINGS

 ABRAHAM OFFERING: His Only Son Isaac (Genesis 18:1-18)

This is one of the greatest stories of God dealing with man. The whole story of Abraham offering Isaac originated in Go and ended with Him blessing the human agent Abraham.

Lessons to learn:

(i)          Prompt Obedience To God. This was Abraham’s character. Whenever God said go, he went. Whatever God said do, he did. He was told to leave his kindred for a place God appointed for him, he obeyed. He was told to offer the son of Promise, Isaac, he obeyed (Heb.5:5-9). Have you learned to obey the Lord?

(ii)        Not Conferring with Flesh and blood. There is no evidence he discussed with Sarah his wife in any of the occasions. Abraham knew the voice of God. It was not necessary to cast a vote concerning it. Do you know when God is speaking (1Sam.3:1-7; Heb.4:12)?

HANNAH’S OFFERING: Her Firstborn Samuel (1Sam.1:1-20, 24-28)

This was a noble woman. She made a vow to the Lord and when God answered her, she immediately fulfilled the vow. She brought Samuel to the Lord and left the little toddler with Eli in fulfilment of her promise. Did the husband stop her? No! They both knew what it meant to make a promise to God. Do you know what it means to make a promise to God? God is a promise Keeper and would expect all who follow Him to be covenant keepers, not covenant breakers!

 GOD’S GIFT TO MANKIND: His Only Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16-18)

The story of the offering up of Jesus would take us back to the offering up of Isaac. In asking him to offer Isaac, the son of Promise, He was picturing to us what He had planned from eternity – to give His Son Jesus to be Saviour of a condemned world.

The Old Testament prefigured the New Testament. To give you one more figure, listen to Jesus (John 3:14-15). Christ is the fulfilment of the Old Testament. He is the Gift of God to mankind. No one can enter God’s Kingdom except through Him. By God I mean the God of the Universe, the Maker and Possessor of heaven and earth and that are in them.

Have you received this gift? Has Jesus become Lord in your life? If not you are in a grave danger.

WHAT IS YOUR OWN SACRIFICE (Prov.23:15, 19, 23, 26)?

The first and most important gift anyone would ever give to God is not money, important as that is. It is not any other material thing we may possess, important as such gifts to God may be. The very first and foremost thing we must give to God is our heart.

Why does God want our hearts? Because that is the centre of all our life (Mark 7:21-23; Jer.4:14; Prov.4:20-23; Mat.5:8). Everything we do, every action we take, every desire we have springs out of the heart.

When God gave us Jesus to die for us, He gave us Himself! Nothing else could He withhold from us! How do we respond to that gift? We give God our heart. When we do, we can withhold nothing from God.

The total giving of your heart to God will attract an ever flowing river of divine blessings which will flowing into eternal life in Heaven.