“The multitude of your sacrifices — what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.” Isaiah 1:11
“When people give gifts, it is not the gift alone that is meaningful; the gift signifies the love and the thought behind it. A gift is one way to express love and gratitude for another in thoughtful, tangible ways. But what happens when a gift is given out of an obligation instead of from the heart?
In Isaiah 1, God is addressing an issue he has with offerings or gifts that are made in vain…The people of Judah were thorough in performing sacrifices and ceremonies, but they were not repenting of their sin…It might be easy to dismiss this passage as only a critique of Jewish practices, saying that it does not pertain to us as the Church today.
However, there are practices we regularly offer as gifts to God such as worshipping with fellow believers in church, participating in Bible studies, and quietly meditating on God’s Word. These practices are vital to our spiritual lives and communities, but without love for the things that God loves and for our fellow man, they fall short.
As I reflect on this passage in Isaiah, I am examining areas of my life where I am giving my time and energy to God and the Church, but not seeking to love the things that God loves. Even though recognizing those shortcomings is difficult, I am encouraged by the words of verse 18: “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
None of our gifts begins to compare with the gift of Jesus’ life and loving sacrifice. When we receive this gift and repent, we are free to give to one another and offer our lives to God from the place of transformed hearts.”
Amanda Wicker, videographer, Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, PA in 2016 Advent Devotional Day 2. If you have not picked an advent devotional this year, you may want to try this one.
Wicker closes her advent devotional with this humble prayer. Let’s join her today.
Lord, sometimes our efforts to please you outweigh our desire to repent and to love the things you love. I pray that you would cultivate in us repentant and obedient hearts. May our lives be gifts of praise and gratefulness for what you have done for us. Amen.”