I Bring An Offering

I Bring an Offering
By Paul Baloche

I bring an offering of worship to my King
No one on earth deserves the praises that I sing
Jesus may you receive the honor that you’re due
O Lord, I bring an offering to you

The sun cannot compare to the glory of Your love;
there is no shadow in Your presence.
No mortal man would dare to stand before
Your throne, before the Holy One of Heaven.
It's only by Your blood
and it's only through Your mercy, Lord I come!

O Lord, I bring an offering to You, O Lord, I bring an offering to You.
O Lord, I bring an offering to You, O Lord, I bring and offering to You.

I was at church this morning worshipping the Lord when my comfortable space was invaded with an unshakable challenge in the form of this worship song. Do I allow my worship and praise to be directed at other people, circumstances or situations? My answer to this challenge was a quick “no!” because, of course, I only worship the Lord. Then I started thinking of where my heart, thoughts and emotions spend much of their time. It has always been a belief of mine that we worship that which we think is most powerful. That is when it seemed the Lord asked me, “This last week, what or who has been more powerful in your life than me?” And I had to honestly think--was it a health issue, relationship strain, financial situation, emotional wounds, discontent or fear? As these things distract us from worshipping and praising the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, they also demand our worship. They ultimately attach themselves to the core of our being and lay claim to our emotions, time, abilities and even to the people we care for so dearly. We must not allow these distractions to shift our worship’s focus. Believe me--there are times I am so scared by what I am feeling, the confusion that is present and the uncertainty of the future, that I forget about how mighty my God is and begin to question if He can truly take care of me. That is when I have a decision to make. Will I walk in faith or run in fear? Today I have decided to grasp onto my faith and hold firm to God’s promises. I am also praying that tomorrow I can have the same resolve; though, for all practical reasoning, I can not be concerned about tomorrow as there are plenty enough battles to face today.

Lord, please help my life be an offering to you today. May this world and its distractions be unable to shift my focus from your love and your glory. You have always been right there to bring healing, hope, and direction to my life. Thank you for your faithfulness.

Love,

Your Son

What Will It Take For You To Pray?

Most of you are aware that I am enrolled in Liberty University. I have been reading and studying and awakening a new part of my brain that has been dormant for a time. This week’s devotional will come to you in the form of homework. I hope that you enjoy awakening that part of your brain that needs a little exercise.

If there is ever a time that we must be praying it is now! We are on the brink of so much change, multitudes of the human race are fearful over the precious dollar, families are facing relationship strains, health and emotional issues are ever increasing… What will it take to get you on your knees and pleading with Jesus to speak into our world and show us how to take the next step? Here are a few scriptures to look at and study and when you are finished reading, go find a quiet place where you and your Creator can have a heart to heart conversation.



What Will it Take for You to Pray?

1. For our life!
Genesis 32:11
Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.

2. In Times of Trouble
Psalms 69:13-21
But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.
14 Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.
15 Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me.
16 Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.
17 Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
18 Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes.
19 You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.
20 Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.
21 They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

3. Finding Hope in the Storm
Jeremiah 29:10-14
10 This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

4. To Remain Faithful
Daniel 6:6-10
So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: “O King Darius, live for ever!
7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.
8 Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered--in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened towards Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

5. When Strength is Needed
Matthew 26:36-38
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

6. When Turning from Sin and Repenting
Acts 8:18-23
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money
19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.
23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

7. When Trusting God for Provision
2 Chronicles 7:13-14
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

8. When Deliverance is a Must
Mark 9:17-29
A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.
18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
19 “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered.
22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.”
27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

9. When Looking for Direction
Colossians 4:2-4
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

10. When Words Are Not Enough
Romans 8:26-28
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Ahhhh! I Am Stuck On A Roller Coaster!

When is the last time you have been to an amusement park? Do you remember the feeling you got as you plummeted head first, downward on that coaster, trusting that as you almost hit the ground, the track will bring you skyward once more? Could you imagine being strapped into this roller coaster and not just experiencing it for a two-minute ride but for an undetermined duration? Over the last 10 months, I have begun to believe that was just how my life was destined to be--full of ups and downs, spinning, getting thrown from side to side only to ultimately find myself sick and wanting to get off of the ride. But the Lord is not that type of God and He does not want that type of confusion in our lives. So what must I do to quit riding this ride voluntarily, all the time believing that I have no choice and must be stuck? Here are a few encouragements out of scripture that I have set as high priorities for me to live by. They have assisted me greatly in getting off of the crazy ride of uncertainty and have helped me rest in a peace that is beyond my own understanding.

#1 Be an ambassador of Christ, of what He has done, of what He is doing, and of what He promises to do, rather than a representation of this world’s desires mixed with our shortcomings and failures.

#2 You must quit blaming and battling the people who surround you and take the fight to the true battlefield, which is your relationship and trust in God.

#3 Fear God and God alone, for that which you fear you serve, and that which you serve is your master!


Here is a personal testimony out of my own life how the Lord stepped into my confusion and brought life.

A few months ago I woke up and did not recognize who I was. No, I wasn’t going crazy, but so many things in my life had changed that the only thing that looked the same was my face in the mirror. And even that had a stressed look to it! Where I lived had changed, my income had changed, the weather had changed, where I work had changed, my occupation had changed, what my wife and I were talking about had changed, and of course, my children never stop changing. It was as if I was standing there looking at a stranger. The emotions evoked in me caused me to break every rule that was just mentioned. I began to be an ambassador of the world’s desires and my own shortcomings and failures instead of Christ and His hope and love. I quickly starting blaming others and was looking to do battle in all of the wrong places. Then I began to feel the shackles begin to wrap around my heart and allowed fear of the unknown to become my master. It shackled me into the seat of the roller coaster and my thoughts and emotions began to take over and pushed me into panic. This is when the Lord reached into all that I am and reminded me once again that I was created and ransomed for a greater purpose than to allow powerless chains to strap me down and steal even a moment of this precious life.

Luke 4:16-21
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."


Jesus promised freedom! This freedom is ours for the taking but we must not allow the illusions of our entrappings to keep us from believing in and following the promises of Him who paid for our lives by laying down His own.

(Please pray this prayer)

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the price you have paid for me. I give you my doubts and fears and ask that you once again take control of my memories, my present situations and my hope for the future. Forgive me for believing the lies that surround me. Please help me hear your voice and show me what you see when you look at me. I love you and I commit today to not allow anyone or anything to push me back into the seat of that roller coaster. I am free and will live as one who has been set free.

Thank you Jesus!

Amen

Psalm 25

Psalm 25
Of David.
1. To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
2. in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3. No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse.

David’s first step was one of personal surrender and trusting his God…

David didn’t just trust the Lord with the words that he said, but he walked a faith that trusted God with everything. This would include his needs, his desires, his future, his ego, his shame, his vengeance, his opinions, his very life. David truly put his hope in God’s hands. Will you?

4. Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
5. guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

David realized that if he was going to put his hope in his God, he must also look to the Lord and find His guidance…

What is your source of light along this treacherously dark road we call life? The Lord will always give us guidance, and all we need to do is to simply rest in His loving hands. The funny thing is that some of us have been living in the dark for so long that the light not only brings fear, and unfamiliarity, but it actually brings pain. If you would just allow the light of God’s word to begin cutting through the darkness, you will never have to be scared of the dark again. His light is warmth and full of promise.

6. Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you are good, O LORD.
8 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, O LORD,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

God’s love is not a new, man-made idea, but was present before time was made…

God knows every sin that will be committed and every bad habit that has pointed you down the wrong paths. However, our God is not only good, loving, faithful and compassionate; but He is also forgiving, and longs to have relationship with you. In Genesis, it says that God used to walk with Adam and Eve and enjoy their company. Believe it or not, Jesus came to this earth to make it possible for us to walk with our God once more.

12 Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ?
He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
13 He will spend his days in prosperity,
and his descendants will inherit the land.
14 The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.

What is this fear that we speak of?

I read this scripture to my son, Adam, the other day and asked him what he thought it meant. He started talking about respect and how it is not about being scared, but it is about caring what God thinks. I asked him if he feared me as his father and he said, “Yes!” I think we came to the realization that respect, love, and godly fear all flow out of the understanding of authority. God is our loving father, but He is also just and true.

15 My eyes are ever on the LORD,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free me from my anguish.
18 Look upon my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
19 See how my enemies have increased
and how fiercely they hate me!
20 Guard my life and rescue me;
let me not be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.

Where are your eyes focused--on the snare, or on the one who can set you free?

No matter how many enemies were after David or what traps he found himself stuck in, David’s eyes were always looking for the Lord. This is a great reminder to me as we face life’s circumstances and difficult situations. I can choose to stare at them and make up stories about how bad they are and havoc that they will cause in my life, or I can look to the Lord and focus on His story. The Lord’s story for you and I is one of freedom, joy and, at times, even laughter.

21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope is in you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!

David surrendered everything but still understood his responsibility of integrity and uprightness…

There are very few things that we are in control of in this life. But here at the end of this wonderful Psalm to the Lord, David lists two of them--integrity and uprightness. What do these two words mean to you? To me, they mean that, no matter what the circumstances look like, how much money is or is not in my checking account, what decisions people that surround me choose or do not choose to do, and what kind of pain I am feeling, I will honor the Lord with my actions, my speech, and my attitude. For this to be true integrity, it must take place no matter who is watching. Integrity and uprightness must always be for the audience of our Lord and our Lord alone.