DEVOTION – DAY 604

Romans 12:1-2 “Living Sacrifices”

Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Because God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross to atone for the sins of all believers, our response should be to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, to follow and obey Him always. How are we to follow and obey the Lord? V2 tells us to turn away from worldly desires and patterns. Instead, let God’s commands found in the Bible be our guide. If we follow God’s guide for us, we will be able to discern what is good and what is evil in our daily circumstances and choices. 

I recalled, that when I retired from my job, I had plans to use my time to travel. I wanted to enjoy my many hobbies, and maybe learn a new language. Friends tell me I deserved the break. They tell me I should be kind to myself. I realized quickly that these are all selfish desires putting myself and my wants first. But what does God want me to do? If I am to submit to God, I must obey His will for me and put Him first over what I want to do. As I sought His will for me through reading the Bible during my time of devotion, I came across the above verses in Romans. At the same time, I and my wife were challenged by our church to be more actively serving in KLBC Desa ParkCity. That was how we ended up for about nine years serving there as lay pastors. Looking back, it was our way of offering ourselves as living sacrifices. The work was not easy, but God’s presence and enablement was always with us. We would not have been able to do anything if it was not for His help in everything we did. To God be the glory.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for your gift of salvation offered to all who would believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Help us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices daily and not conform to the ways of this world. Help us to submit to your will for us always. We humbly pray in the wonderful name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. What are some common reasons or excuses people give for pursuing their own plans for how they want to live and use their time, as opposed to seeking God’s will for them?
  2. What about you? How are you offering yourself daily as a living sacrifice to do God’s will for you?
  3. Why is it important for you to offer yourself as a living sacrifice? Discuss.

If you are not already offering yourself as a living sacrifice, what changes will you make in the way you use your time in order to do be a living sacrifice?