Psalm 4:5 “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the LORD.”
Everyday there are people who make sacrifices.
The sacrifice of giving up time or in helping others are decisions that are made without thought for self. Sure, there are people who sacrifice themselves by striving to get rich or gain fame, and there are those who sacrifice their youth in reckless abandonment for pleasure. But there are those who recognize the value of investing in others.
The sacrifice of raising children in a godly home reaps rewards later in life, or helping an ailing parent or family member who can’t care for themself. There are good and bad rewards in life, some lived wisely and others in foolishness.
Proverbs 10:4 “Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.”
Musicians sacrifice their time in practicing their instruments or pastors in preparing for a sermon knowing it takes preparation to be effective. The godly homemaker invests in her family, knowing the investment of faith will not be lost. Whether it’s the laborer or the lazy, every person on earth only has twenty-four hours each day and those days add up to months and years that pass by far too quickly…..often forgetting that those days are numbered.
Seize the Day!
Within the daily rituals and responsibilities lies an undercurrent of spiritual sacrifice that form decisions that can affect a person for eternity. A decision of whether to honor the Lord or to honor themselves is made by every person every day.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven”
Bound within the context of all we see is a spiritual element of responsibility, lived out day by day with barely a notice. Only the discerning can see the righteous attributes of a faithful man or woman of God, those who live in obedience to the Spirit. The product of a life fully submitted to God’s righteousness becomes a fruitful harvest of peace and joy in the Lord. There are many more rewards that await the life of the righteous, for those who are wise, the reward is far more valuable than anything this world can provide.
Revelation 14:12 “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”
To walk in righteousness requires sacrifice. Placing God’s standard above your own, the faithful choose to honor the Lord first in both thought and deed. If an action requires a compromise in righteousness, the faithful choose obedience over personal gain. This path requires a daily determination in how a righteous person lives, thinks, speaks, and where they stand in life. Everything becomes a sacrifice of worship and honor to the Lord who has redeemed the righteous from death.
The Rewards of the Righteous
*The Lord lifts up the righteous and by justice they are absolved of all guilt.
Psalm 37:5-6 “Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.”
Sin lowers a person with shame and guilt. Disgrace is upon the heads of all who reject God’s standard of holiness. The Lord promises that He will not acquit the wicked for in judgement they will receive their due penalty. Lives lived for selfish gain, lived by their own standard of morality are those who follow after their own gods—the legacy of a fool is long and arduous, difficult is their way for the life that ends in terror.
The righteous walk in light of God’s holiness for it pierces the darkness and illumines their path. The light exposes evil, it confronts wickedness, and leaves no room for impurity. The perfection of Christ has been bestowed upon the righteous for their guilt has been absolved.
*The promises of God’s goodness wait in store for the righteous to receive.
Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Difficulty is found by the righteous and the unrighteous. The rain falls on both the just and unjust. Sinful people attack and show hatred, cancer grows, and the afflictions of a sinful world become too numerous to count. For the unrighteous, a life of trouble only leads to more trouble.
The disgraced find themselves waling in darkness, with no light to guide their way, but for the righteous the way is made clear. The Lord Himself wipes away their tears, the second death holds no power over the righteous and all weeping will come to an end. The former things will pass away for the righteous, and only good will remain. For the unrighteous, the former things will be to their shame, and they will be reminded of those things for eternity.
*The Lord lifts the burdens of the righteous.
1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”
For the righteous, there is joy in the journey. This world may be ruled by wickedness for a time, but the burden of sin has been lifted from the head of God’s people. Grace dominates in the life of the Christ follower, His sacrifice has become their salvation and they worship Him for it.
The path of righteousness was designed to lead people toward God. Humankind was made to walk this path and everyone who knows it, experiences the goodness of God.
*The righteous learn and grow by walking according to God’s Word.
Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
The unrighteous have no fixed point of reference by which to navigate, their lives lead an endless path of searching—while the Word of God stands fixed and immovable the path of fools is unstable.
The Word of God not only points the way, it hedges God’s people in and guides them along the path of life.
Personal Sacrifice
Choosing to follow the Lord requires sacrifice, leaving all the world in God’s hands. The true believer will never be accepted by a world that is an enemy of Christ. When a godly man or woman stands up for what they believe, they confront worldly values. The world will label believers with marks as being hateful, bigoted, close minded, or even fascist but the believer knows they are only defined by God–He is their judge.
Psalm 51:16-17 “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.”
One day, those sacrifices will be rewarded.
If you know the Lord, be separate from this world. The Lord calls His people in righteousness, it will be a light for those who walk in darkness. Shine your light brightly for all to see and you will exalt the One who formed you.
U.T. 