A Gift Worth Offering

August 19th, 2023

by Pastor Andrew Wolfenbarger
08/19/2023

Psalm 50:10-12 - “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.”

Isaac Watts was known for his prodigious use of the English language and his skill as a musician. Yet, for all of his talent, he was not a particularly attractive individual. One description said of him, “He was small, ugly, frail, and often sickly.” Reports suggest that his head appeared to be too large for his five-foot-tall body. He was also cursed with small, piercing eyes and a hooked nose. He better resembled a leprechaun.

A woman of some social standing fell in love with Watts simply by reading his beautiful poetry. A lovely correspondence followed. But when they finally met face to face, the woman was put off by Watts’ ugliness. He asked her to marry him. The woman responded: “Mr. Watts, I only wish I could admire the jewelry box as much as I admire the jewelry.” He never married.

Undeterred by the world’s view of his external appearance, Watts knew he had something to offer the Lord. He penned these beautiful words in the hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”:
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.

Psalm 51:16-17 - "For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

God does not need your wealth or property. He already owns everything in the world. What God desires and what His love demands is “your soul, your life, your all.” Nothing else will do to please the Lord for His great sacrifice that secured our eternal life. Let’s consider the nature of this pleasing presentation:
1. Your Soul
Your soul is the inner you. Some have described it as the mind (intellect) and the heart (emotions). Therefore, this deals with both logic and love, suggesting that our pursuit of God would be twofold: 1) that we would seek to comprehend that which may be understood about Him and 2) that we would have our affection set upon Him.

2. Your Life
A follower of Christ is to lay his life down and follow Jesus. Paul was inspired to say, “For me to live is Christ,” indicating an absolute surrender to the will of the Lord. Instead of a life spent pursuing self-glorification, we aim to exalt Jesus through our conversation and service to others for His glory.

3. Your All
Whatever we offer to God should be of the very best quality. The Old Testament sacrifices were required to be of the highest possible quality. David refused to offer God that which cost Him nothing. Mary opened up the most valuable worldly possession she had and anointed Christ by wiping His feet with her hair. These offered the very best that they possibly could. This attitude is developed within us when we realize that God sent the very best He had to give when He sent His only begotten Son to die in our place.

God does not expect you to be more than you are, but His love demands that you would offer to Him all that you are.