“Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.’” Joshua 3:5
On the threshold of the Promised Land, God said to His people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” When you consecrate yourself to God He will do things in you, with you, for you, and through you that will amaze you. We want to do amazing things for God, and that seems noble. But we’ve got it backwards. God wants to do amazing things for us; that’s His job, not ours. Our job is consecration.
And consecration is more than going to church, keeping the Ten Commandments, giving money, sharing your faith, repeating the Lord’s Prayer, volunteering for a ministry, and going on a mission trip. All those are good things, but that isn’t consecration. The utensils used in temple worship were considered “consecrated”. In other words, they were set apart for the exclusive use of God. They were devoted to His service. Today the Word of God, The Holy Supper and Baptism are God’s instruments of holiness in our lives. These are set apart for God.
Consecration means dethroning yourself and enthroning Jesus as Lord of your life. It’s the complete divestiture of all self-interest. It’s giving God veto power. It’s surrendering all of you to all of Him. It’s a simple recognition that every second of your time, every ounce of your energy, and every penny of your money is a gift from God and for God. Consecration is an ever-deepening love for Jesus, a childlike trust in your heavenly Father, and a blind obedience to the Holy Spirit. So the word for you today is — consecrate yourself to God.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I consecrate myself to be used by You as an instrument to carry out Your will. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
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