Like Water to my Soul

God's Word came so alive to me in my quiet time today. I want to share. As I was reading I was thinking about the question that students often ask and that I have also asked in the past, "Why don't we offer sacrifices anymore?" The answer is that Jesus was the once and for all sacrifice for our sins. This truth made it deeper into my heart today as I read. I will type scripture in bold and my thoughts as I read in italics. I hope this is water to your soul today too.

From Hebrews chapter 10:

For if the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer year after year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshippers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

Makes perfect sense- if a sacrifice made a person perfect, that person would not have to make any more sacrifices.

But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

But they did have to make sacrifices again and again. Until Jesus came. Then no more sacrifices. Why was His sacrifice the last one? Because it made us perfect. PERFECT!!! My heart is jumping for joy at this truth. Here's how scripture says it:

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Now where there is remission of sins, there is no longer an offering for sin."

So I don't have to offer sacrifices because the Lord sees me as perfect. Is there anything in my life that I am offering as a "sacrifice" because deep down I just don't believe that the Lord really sees me as perfect? My spirit tells me that there is. Lord, show me what those things are in my life.

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with at true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

I don't have to make any of my "sacrifices". I can come BOLDLY before Him-just like I am. I am in tears over the goodness of this. Oh Lord, your work is so good, so perfect, so thorough. I am overwhelmed by it today. Praises!!!

I want to share one more thing that happened in my quiet time today. I mentioned in my last post that we recently made a big financial commitment. The Lord is providing for what we thought would have to be extra money for rent, and I'll be able to share more details of that in coming weeks. Another thing that the commitment involved was that we stop the habit of running through the drive through for food all the time. Well, tonight the kids and I will be out until after 5:30 and I know that when we get home we will all be hungry and cranky and I won't have much time at all to prepare anything. Especially now that my quiet time has taken up a big portion of my afternoon. So I was thinking that we would need to go ahead and get something on the way home tonight. Without knowing any of this, Ben sent me a text message while I was in the middle of this awesome time with the Lord that said that he will be bringing home leftovers from a function they are having this afternoon. How about that? Jehovah Jireh - the Lord our provider. I'm in tears again. Blessings!