8月8日
标 题：献上最好
经 节：凡有残疾，或有什么恶病的牛羊，你都不可献给耶和华你的神，因为这是耶和华你神所憎恶的。（申命记十七章1节）
神的爱促使祂牺牲自己最宝贝的独子。如果真的了解祂对我们的爱，我们的回应必是渴望把自己最好的献给神。
旧约圣经揭示，神定规献给祂的祭必须符合最高标准。百姓要花上一些代价，才能付出有价值的献礼。但百姓的心远离神，开始舍不得献给神贵重的礼物。他们带来瞎眼、瘸腿和有残疾的牲畜，以为神分不出它们的不同（玛拉基书一：8）。神看到他们的行为，宣告他们的献祭无效（玛拉基书一：10）。在整个旧约时代，神为祂的爱子铺设舞台，祂那最完美、无罪的爱子，要成为全人类罪之献祭。
我们对神的献礼反映出我们的心态。一颗对神的大爱洋溢着感恩的心，会无私地献上礼物。如果不想献上自己的时间、所有物、金钱和精力，显示出我们并没有照神的希望，回应祂的爱。神所喜悦的人，是那些全心乐意奉献的、了解神是其所有之源头的、知道神会赐予比献礼更丰盛的（哥林多后书九：8）。
如果舍不得把自己最好的东西献给神，不妨稍微停下来，默思神为你付出牺牲的代价。相信祂，并且把最好的献给祂，因为你全心全意地爱祂。
Giving Your Best
You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God a bull or sheep which has
any blemish or defect, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God.
(Deuteronomy 17:1)
God’s love moved Him to sacrifice that which meant the most to Him—His
only Son. Our response, if we truly understand His love for us, is the desire
to give back to God that which means the most to us.
The Old Testament reveals that God set forth high standards for the
sacrifices He required of His people. A worthy sacrifice had to cost the people
something. As their hearts shifted away from God, the people began struggling
to give God costly offerings. They would bring blind, lame, and sick animals,
assuming God could not tell the difference (Mal. 1:8). God saw what they were
doing and declared their offerings to be in vain (Mal. 1:10). Throughout the
Old Testament period, God was setting the stage for the ultimate, perfect, and
sinless sacrifice of His Son for the sins of humanity.
The offerings we give back to God reveal our hearts’ condition. A heart
that overflows with gratitude for God’s love will respond in selfless devotion.
If we are unwilling to sacrifice our time, our possessions, our money, or our
energy, we indicate that we do not love God as He desires. God takes delight in
the person who gives to Him cheerfully out of a loving heart, a person who
understands that God is the source of everything he has and who knows that God
will more than compensate for whatever is sacrificed for Him (2 Cor. 9:8).
If you struggle in giving your best offerings to God, pause and reflect
on what God sacrificed for you. Trust Him and give Him the best that you have
because you love Him with all your heart.
