Peace without blemish

“If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD” (Leviticus 3:1, ESV)

There are various reasons to offer a peace offering to the LORD. It could be a petition. It could be to amend a wrong (not one leading to death). Unlike other offerings, a peace offering in detail involves the burning of the fat of the animal.

This is understood to represent the “best” of the animal. Okay, in today’s health conscious society fats are seen as unhealthy (but let’s be honest, who can resist bacon?). In a peace offering, all the other parts are not offered because the person making the offering must make out the best for the LORD.

Even before that, it begins with offering an unblemished animal.

We must be sincere in making our offerings to the LORD. Another example is our time. When we offer our time, is it our choicest time or merely the spare time that we have. Beware. Between us, we know a relationship is doomed when either party has only “spare time” for one another.

We must be sincere with the LORD. Note that He is not asking for every lamb/sheep/animal in the verse, just one of the choicest and, admittedly, if it was left to us even that is difficult. Pray that He will allow us to overcome ourselves and seek the best relationship we can ever build on: the one with Him.

1) Pray for Him to help us be cheerful givers.

PRAYER: Dear LORD, I confess I’m often selfish; I guard my possession with a jealous zeal because I feel that I earned them, I deserve them. LORD, I thank you that you’ve made me a hard worker. But more than that, O LORD, teach to me to understand that what I am  is what you made me out to be. When I give back to you, when I make offering to you, I’m merely returning to you what you’ve made me to be. Thank you LORD, and help me. 

In Jesus name I pray, Amen.