Daily Thought for Friday, July 29th

July 29, 2011

The Cost

Today’s Thought:

“The world measures man in terms of haves and have nots: And count the worth of earthly gains more than the things of God.”  – The Telestials (lyrics from ‘Everything’)

Today’s Quotes:

“I did what I felt, and I felt what I did, at all costs.” – Little Richard

Today’s Question

“What if I give all I have?  What will that gift do?” – Ray Boltz (lyrics from ‘What If I Gave All’)

Today’s Bible Verses:                  1 Chronicles 21:18-24

Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the Lord. And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.  And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground. Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the Lord: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.  And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.  And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

“For a man to attain to an eminent degree in life costs him time, watching, hunger, nakedness, dizziness in the head, weakness in the stomach, and other inconveniences.”
- Miguel de Cervantes

It has often been said you can’t get something for nothing.  But that is not true of salvation.  God’s gift of life is free for the taking; we have but to be willing to receive it.  When I count the cost of salvation to me, I realize:

“I don’t have the nail scars in my hands and prints upon my feet.  I don’t the marks across my brow a crown of thorns would leave.  I don’t have to bare the weight of sin to set the whole world free.  Jesus kept these for Himself and gave me everything.

When I look at what He’s given up and what He’s given me, there’s so much more that I posses this world will never see.  So I can be contented with whatever he provides; because he gave me all I need when He gave his life.

I don’t have condemnation; He gave me grace instead.  I don’t have the stain of sin, He covered it with red.” – The Telestials (lyrics from ‘Everything’)

What God has given me cost me nothing but the acknowledgement that I was a sinner in need of a Savior.  But what about what I give Him?  Since my free gift cost Him so much, does it not stand to reason that what I give Him should cost me something?  Should I not, if I truly love Him; be willing to lay down my life, spiritually, figuratively and literally speaking?

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” – The Bible (Romans 12:1)

“He heard the preacher say
A single dime can feed
A hungry boy or girl
With nothing to eat
So he pulled a dollar
From the pocket of his jeans
And he asked his mama
How many will this feed?
She just smiled
And when she told him ten
He reached back again
What if I give all I have?
What will that gift do?
My child a gift like that
Could change the world
It could feed a multitude
We cannot close our eyes
And turn away
When we hear His Spirit call
We see the need
Now let Him hear us say
What if I give all?” – Ray Boltz (lyrics from ‘What If I Gave All’)

God gave His all: doesn’t He deserve the same in return from us?  We need to count the cost as nothing and give Him all we are.

Today’s Prayer:

Father, even if I give everything I have and all that I am, it is still less than you deserve for what you have given me.  Help me to give freely, willingly and cheerfully all of me to thee.