And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. (Genesis 8:21)
The Lord had just destroyed the earth with flood and Noah, the only human that was saved from the destruction together with his wife, children and in-laws, on coming out of the ark, ‘…built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar’. God’s heart was moved and He made a promise. Was it the fact that Noah made a burnt offering to God that so pleased Him and moved His heart? In Genesis 4 we read of the sacrifices of Cain and Abel. One was accepted by God and the other rejected by Him.
All through the Old Testament we have accounts of sacrifices that God accepted and those He rejected. In Amos 5:21-23 God spoke through the prophet to the children of Israel thus ‘I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savour your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments’. Samuel, addressing Saul said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.’ (1 Samuel 15:22).
An important ingredient of sacrifices that are acceptable to God and that can move His heart is obedience. Noah obeyed God and built the ark, though the command sounded ridiculous with human eyes then. God was pleased with him for his obedience and when he gave the offering he brought clean animals, a sign of sincerely and a desire to give the best. For our sacrifices to make an impact on God they have to have these ingredients; we have to be good standing with God through obedience to His word and have to be sincere with our gifts – giving our best.
As we launch the Harvest season today, are there any areas in which you are not pleasing the Lord?Are you still swimming in sin? Are there people you are not in talking terms with? Our sacrifices are meaningless before God if these issues are not first resolved. Commit today to make peace with all men and women, especially those you fellowship with in this church and confess all sins before God. David says in Psalm 51:17 ‘’the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart …’
For our sacrifices and offering to move the heart of God we have to give out of our love for Him for His awesomeness and for His love and mercy towards us. When we give sacrificially, when we give towards His work in such a way that we are compelled to make adjustments in other cost centres, then we move His heart to surprise us with His blessings. Maybe you would like to have some idea of what God has laid in our hearts to do for Him this year: To appreciate God for blessing us over a Century, we are this year, working and praying to, amongst others,
(a). build a church in an area without Anglican presence along Lekki- Epe Road;
(b). build a Centenary House to provide Sunday School classrooms, space for a Teens’ Church, a Youth Centre and facilities for some of the ministries of the church;
(c). provide for the take-off of OSCEEP to help get our needy members stand on their own and support the church and others;
(d) enhance the sound systems of the church, including the pipe organ and reduce the noise-level of the speakers currently in the church;
(e). enhance the training of our youths and Sunday School teachers.
God has been very good to us especially in giving us new life through His Son Jesus Christ and providing abundantly for our needs and comfort. He continues to be faithful to His promises. Our gifts, today and through this season of harvest, should be from the best God has blessed us with and we should not forget to do good and to share with others (Hebrew 13:16).
Have a Happy Rogation Sunday as you sow bountifully so you will, later this year and beyond, reap a harvest of unimaginable blessings.
Your brother, Vicar & Archdeacon
Igein Isemede