April 28, 2003 Monday
Poured Out
"Yea, and if I be offered...I joy, and rejoice..." - Philippians 2:17
One cross...one Savior pouring out every last ounce of strength and life blood
in His body...words do not exist that are able to accurately capture the
intensity and perfection of His sacrifice. From the mountain of Sinai God made
it very clear that those who have a genuine heart to worship Him must prepare
themselves to offer up sacrifices to Him "day by day continually". (Exo 29:38)
One of the offerings that God required daily was the drink offering...the most
expensive and precious of wines available to be poured out and emptied before
the altar of God Almighty. Also, God required the blood of the calf that had
been sacrificed as a burnt offering to be poured out, just as the blood of
Christ was..."and pour ALL the blood beside the bottom of the altar". (Exo
29:12) Today, God demands us to go far beyond human ability to become such a
sacrifice, yet even more, a "living sacrifice". (Rom 12:2) If you have tasted
and consumed of the sweet savoring sacrifice that Christ poured out for you then
your heart's desire is to be poured out for Him as well. Paul could say "I joy,
and rejoice" at such an opportunity to be poured out as a physical drink
offering because he realized how small of a thing it was when he relished the
Savior's perfect, holy offering. In 2 Timothy 4:6 Paul said, "I am now ready to
be offered"...emptied, offered, and spent entirely in any way that would be
pleasing to the Master, does this describe your life? Will you be poured out?