sacrifice – God's Word Girl

I was sorting through paperwork, (it feels like I am always sorting through paperwork), when I came across a picture of President Trump on the day he’d been shot in Pennsylvania. His nose was to the ground and blood was running down his face, a poignant photograph indeed. The picture alone said volumes, but to take it to the utmost extreme of profound it included a statement that went something like this:

“They’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you — and I’m just standing in their way.”

It got me to thinking about Jesus.

satan wanted God’s throne and the worship due Him. His rebellion got him kicked out of heaven. Then we came along and he’s been hating on us ever since.

Enter Jesus. satan thought he could make headway to the heavenly throne; to get to the Father, go through the Son by trying to deceive and tempt Him to give up His deity. Jesus didn’t take satan’s bait. He instead used the Word to combat and ultimately defeat him. That left mankind in satan’s cross-hairs — just where we’ve always been.

Later comes Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Was satan after Him? Of course! how else does one explain the cross? But that scheme failed. He did exactly what was necessary to ransom us. Whether satan realizes he’s never going to succeed in usurping God, I don’t know. What I do think is that his next best scheme is to keep coming after us. What I think we’re struggling to wholly realize, and what satan hopes we never do, is the authority that we have been given when Jesus put Himself in the way.

He took the whipping. He took the humiliation. He took the thorns. He took the nails. He took the suffering. He took the betrayal. He took the rejection. He took the pain. He partook of death itself. Why? Because of His great love for us. A love that isn’t due nor was it asked for.

satan is still after us. But look, Jesus and the cross He bore still stands in the way. His sacrificial act and miraculous resurrection is still enough to squelch all of the fires in our lives.

Join me: Let’s make a conscious effort to keep the celebration of our Savior’s act of love all year long.

Having turned it on halfway through the program, I couldn’t tell you all the details. I didn’t need them to ponder for days on what I heard, in fact, am still pondering.

The minister was young at that time. I don’t know how, but he’d managed to connect with a successful businessman who came to the LORD later in life who realized how selfish he’d been and wanted to give back. The businessman presented a checkbook to the minister and told him to bless others as he saw fit at his expense. Can you imagine? I thought of the possibilities of having access to something like that and let my imagination run wild as to what I’d do in that situation. Of course the story was meant to drive home a point. What about us? Are we willing to offer our lives as a “blank check” to God? We pray to the LORD, but is He lord of all? or some? Do we have “untouchables” in our lives?

I wrote last year about my awe of Mary and Joseph and how sometimes I think we become so familiar with the Christmas story that we forget that these were real people with real plans. Like most of us, they daydreamed about how their lives would unfold. But their lives didn’t unfold like a neat package; it was messy. Mary and Joseph were willing to let their reputations be trashed. When the LORD spoke they answered and acted immediately. They let God’s truth in their hearts trump the opinions of others. They endured hardships to fulfill prophecies. And they did so not fully comprehending the impact their obedience would have on generations to come. They offered God a blank check. They offered Him their entire lives.

So I ask again. What about us? Are we willing to enter a new year and offer to Jesus as a belated birthday gift a blank check? Feels weighty, doesn’t it? I had an intense conversation and admission to the LORD that I have reservations. I shamefully confess that sometimes I revert to fear in gifting a blank check, but I want to want to. And yet, like I also said to my LORD, fear is uncalled for. Who has good plans for us? Who has our best interest at heart? Who loves us most in this entire world? Who loves us most outside of this world? For God so loved the world that He gave…

He gave us everything. Are you willing to join me and seriously consider, I mean really consider, entering 2026 and unreservedly offer to God a blank check?

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

Here’s a song of blessing for you. Hope you enjoy it.

Tag: sacrifice

In the Way

Blank Check