Acceptable Offerings

‘So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar… and you …remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God’ Matt.5:24-25.

The secret to giving acceptable offerings is reconciliation. The enemy knows this also, which is why he constantly puts the hurdle of offence before Christians. The Hebrew and Greek word for offence is Mishkal and Scandalon respectively. Both words mean a trap, a snare, an impediment placed in the way causing one to stumble and fall. Offence will hinder every sacrifice you bring before God. It will hinder your communion with God. That you are not the one at fault is not justification enough to stay offended. God says ‘leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person’. Act on the necessary reconciliation and move on. God is willing to wait because when the offering is not acceptable it is pointless bringing it at all. You cannot hold offence in your heart and bring gifts to God. The smell of that sin is what will rise to His nostrils and not the smell of your offering. ‘If someone says, I love God, but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?’ 1John4:20. God is more interested in the state of your heart than in your offerings. ‘Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.’ 1 John.3:15. God is saying, it is time to confront that loved one and rid your heart of offence. This is the only way He can accept you and accept your offering. You must understand the importance of offerings to God to appreciate why you need to get rid of offence. ‘Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated Me! But you ask, What do you mean? When did we ever cheat You? You have cheated Me of the tithes and offerings due to Me’ Mal.3:8. Trust me, you do not want to be perceived by the Heavenlies as cheating God. Keeping short accounts is the key to having a heart void of offence.

Prayer: Refine me like silver, dear Lord. Purify me and refine me like gold and silver, so that I may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the LORD, in Jesus Name [Mal.3:3].