Give God Your Best

Text: Genesis 22:1-18

Serving God in every generation requires more than mere wishes; it requires genuine sacrifice. But unfortunately, many people treat God not as G-O-D but as D-O-G.

In the hunting game, people give the rest to their dogs, not the best – we cannot so treat our God, who is the giver of all things, including our lives.

The story of father Abraham is something we are considering in this text. First, we see how God fulfilled the promise of giving him a son after waiting for twenty-five years. After that, God called him out and instructed him to take Isaac and slaughter him for a sacrifice.

Abraham undoubtedly obliged as he went out with his only legitimate son, willing to sacrifice him for God. Do not forget, Isaac was Abraham’s ‘earthly everything’ – he was going to be the heir of the promise, and Abraham had a special kind of love for Isaac (verse 2).

Despite the affection and soul attachment Abraham had for Isaac, he was willing to let go of him as long as that would please God.

By implication, the foundation of every service and walk with God is to please Him no matter the cost. God deserves our best, not our rest. Abraham gave God his best. It is no surprise he was called a friend of God and the father of faith, and in fact, it is no surprise God established an everlasting covenant with him (verse 16-18).

If you want the best of God, give Him your best. You cannot expect God’s best when you are serving Him with your rest.

Bible is full of the stories of people who gave God their best and eventually came to the best of God in their generation.

In 2Samuel 24:24, King David made a striking statement: … I will surely buy it from you at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which costs me nothing.

David went the extra mile in pleasing God to offer an acceptable sacrifice unto Him. No wonder Bible called David a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). In Jeremiah 33:20-22, God made an everlasting covenant with David. Except for God’s covenant with the day and the night can be broken, it is then, His covenant with King David can be broken.

If you want to please God, be willing to pay sacrifice. Every man who makes the sacrifice usually outwits his peers – the same thing is true in serving God.

Lastly, in Genesis 4:4, Abel brought his sacrifice to God, and it was accepted. Unlike Cain, Abel brought his gift with a right heart, and he took the choicest of his flock to sacrifice to God.

Recall that though Abel was killed after his sacrifice, he had a living testimony that transcends many generations. (Hebrews 11:4). The Bible says though Abel died, he was still speaking. You can be speaking to many generations long after you are dead. It only takes a walk with God.

Please note that it is not all about giving God your money but your life first.

Your life must be acceptable to God before He can accept your offering.

How about your talents and your time?

How about your good and influencing position to promote the kingdom and His projects?

Romans 12:1-2 admonishes us to present our lives as a holy and acceptable sacrifice unto God, for this a reasonable service.

You can still make up your mind to pay all the earth’s prices to make your life acceptable to God. This way of life is the ultimate sacrifice, the best gift you can give to God. So put all trust in Him; He will owe you nothing. God’s reward always outweighs our sacrifices. God bless you.