The RIGHT Way
24. But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.
25. David built an altar there to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the LORD answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
2 SAMUEL 24: 24-25
This story intrigued me. It presented me two valuable things in life; #1. Anything worth having, is going to cost you something. #2. Integrity.
When I write these blogs, my first question is always: “Lord, what do you have to say to your people?” I try real hard to separate, what I “really” want to say, (most times fleshly) if I were to be honest. Nonetheless, I put my fleshly thoughts and desires aside, and do it God’s way.
I know in my “own” fleshly strength, I could pretty much write what I want, because it’s a “God given gift” and whatever I write would serve a purpose.
Oh, let’s stop for a minute…
For all of you who are side-eyeing me right now for that statement; I assure you, it’s not arrogance, this is what I know for sure. God has truly blessed me with a gift to write; just as many of you have your God-given gifts and abilities as well.
Anyway, back to what I was saying; I can write because of the gift, however, my question back to myself is always, “Katherine, is it anointed, and will it destroy yokes/bondages?”
If you pay close attention to our new “normal” EVERYBODY is writing something or creating something new. It’s so much going on, it’s really hard to keep up with all the social media platforms, new books, new blogs, new Zoom shows, new conferences…Need I say more?
Believe, I’m in no way throwing shade at anyone’s endeavors; and if you don’t catch what I’m saying in the Spirit, you’re going to miss the “whole” point of this blog. I realize in this hour, that Father God, is certainly doing a “new” thing, especially with everything that’s happening in our world in regards to the COVID crisis. Nonetheless, it has become a market in the church it seems lately, just to create “stuff”.
This morning as I was showering, I heard clearly the words, “The Right Way” Mind you, I had been asking Father God, what I prefaced to earlier, “Lord, what do you have to say to your people?” After I heard those words, the scripture at the beginning of the blog came to me just as clear. It’s about David’s sacrifice to God to atone for his sin of counting the children of Israel, and to stop the horrendous plague that had already killed, 70,000 people.
When thinking on, and reading about this whole situation, this part of the text stood out to me the most, as my heart began to validate its finding in the words, “I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God, that have cost me nothing.
Hum…. “I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God, that have cost me nothing.
My question to you today my friends would be, “What are YOU offering God?”
Anybody who knows, or has worked with me, knows that I am a perfectionist. Believe, it can be both, a blessing in some instances and a heartache in others.
“What do you mean by that, Pastor Kathy?”
Okay, I can say with all honesty, that my perfectionism comes from my gratitude of what Father God, has done for me. I feel that since He has given me His best, I should in return, give the same back to Him, in my servanthood or anything else I present to Him.
On the flip side of that; I’ve found that everyone is not at my level of gratitude, or that many just don’t feel the way I do when it comes to their individual servanthood or gratitude, etc.
Again, no shade. Everyone’s setup is different; I get that…
On the other hand, the problem for me is; I hate to see people “half-do” or offer God just anything and think it’s okay! Whatever we do, “I feel” should be a reflection of, what He has done for us.
Check this out…
Remember, the woman who washed Jesus’s feet with her tears, and anointed him with her costly perfume. Jesus said to the others, who were sitting, judging, and saying, why He would allow such extravagances from a sinner, “47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown.
Luke 7:47
Basically, her many sins in life had been forgiven, so she returned her gratitude by giving her best back to Him.
I had a church member I use to do different projects with when we were stationed in New Mexico. She was habitually late for everything! When she would “finally” arrive to a function, or whatever, she would always say, “Well, it’s a good thing I was late, because the Lord had a plan, because I had to stop and minister to someone”
Me, livid and thinking to myself, “But…all the time Sis.?!”
Anyhow, y’all, she was late for everything, and always had an excuse for her tardiness, and lack of being prepared.
Can I tell you, after this continued behavior, excuse, after excuse, and always deferring back to the Lord for her shortcomings, I wanted to transform myself into a spiritual “Mike Tyson” and just slay her!
I know, let’s move on…
I’m like, “Lady!!!!! God deserves better! Stop it please!!!!! Just say “YOU” were late, and “YOU” were not prepared! Stop trying to “spiritualize” everything because of your lack of readiness!
Sigh, okay, (I’m calming down)
It is as simple as this: Let what you offer God, be from your heart, packaged in gratitude, and then give it to His people in the Spirit of Excellence! When people sit under the shadow of the Almighty’s ‘true” excellence, they know that God has visited with them.
Beloved, stop giving God, that which has cost you nothing…!
Your cost is going to be in, prayer for direction, your planning and preparation; heck your time period! Stop just throwing stuff together just because, without His direction!
Beloved, true excellence is going to ALWAYS cost you something! I hate when I pay top dollar for something and get substandard service. That’s not integrity at all.
This has been a dilemma in the church, specifically! We have invited the world into our “God world” and they have seen less then excellence, and we have sadly and negligently plastered God’s Name and His word all over it!
Just throwing stuff together, doing things to make money, or just doing stuff, just because. Our God deserves so much better.
Everything is not God, and every GOOD idea, is not a GOD idea…
We have to know our “Why” of doing a thing, and revisit our hearts inclinations, to determine if it’s truly a “God thing”
Excellence in our “service” to Him should be our aim and goal. That’s when we’ll see the “real” fruit of our labor/sacrifices.
After David’s, “choosing” to offer God his “own” payment for his sin, the scripture says,
“25. David built an altar there to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the LORD answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped. 2 SAMUEL 24: 25
People of God, There’s a “plague” in the land of too many voices speaking, folks doing and presenting things, that’s not adding up with who God is in totality.
For we all know, when God enters a room, He brings, His Word, His excellence, His “RIGHT WAY” of doing things; And believe, it’s ALTOGHTER lovely….
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ”
Blogger: Katherine P. Young
Email: queenisaservant@gmail.com
Also connect with me on:
Twitter: @BereanWomanIam1
Instagram: Katherineyoungiam
Facebook: Katherine Young
Comments