Fear No Fear

“For what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me? says the Lord. I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed animals. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of male goats” (Isaiah 1:11, MEV). God loves US, not our sacrifices and tithes. Don’t get me wrong. Offerings and tithes, gifts and blessing others is important. They have real value, but to US and not to Him. They are a benefit to ourselves. They connect us to the flow of blessing. They enable us to receive God’s gifts because we’re givers ourselves. They teach us how to get as well as how to spread blessing. They teach us the idea of love, which is what we need to understand to interact with God to the fullest possible measure (Ephesians 3:14-21). What GOD wants is obedience. God wants our choice to love Him, accept Him, and listen to Him. To put Him in the place He deserves. What good is all our giving, if we aren’t listening to Him when He speaks to us? What good is our sacrificing time and other enjoyment to go to events at church (not just Sundays, for example) in order to be part of the community, if we are just there to punch an imaginary attendance card? We can go through the motions all we want. They mean NOTHING if there isn’t real love behind them. If we don’t have real intent going on. If they aren’t a form of worship. Because that’s what all those things are. Abraham tithed before tithing was part of the Law. Adam and Eve were meant to tithe by keeping a single tree set apart for God. To give Him that thing and not take any of it for themselves in order to show a restraint and a love and an obedience to what God says was right and good. And they weren’t missing out on anything. They had every other tree to eat from. They had fellowship and a relationship with God which would teach them everything they needed to know about Good (which also informed them of Evil since anything not Good is bad). They had the whole package. Did it benefit God? No. He is self-contained. Self-sufficient. He had everything He needed and understood everything and we could give Him nothing. But for us? Life-changing! Transforming! And it still is. If we will put Him in the place He deserves to be, listen to Him, and obey Him – whether we feel like it or not – then we will be putting Him first. We will be worshipping Him with our time and attention, not just our songs, offerings, and tithes. We will be showing real caring, real interaction, and real affection. Walking it out, instead of talking about it. That’s what He’s looking for. That’s what He deserves. And that is what WE need.