To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice- Updated for Lent 2026

This was originally written in 2010 in the midst of the Lenten season, and updated once again in March of 2019.  Thought it was worth updating again, as we begin this new season of Lent today, February 19, 2026, and I really didn't have anything new to write about right now, (except for a postscript at the end of this to bring you up to date on current events).
This post includes some pictures taken of the beauty of God's creation in our previous neighborhood, which always gave me moments to reflect on the Lord and His plans for my life, and what He is asking me to do for Him...So let's take a step back in time, but with a message that is still relevant and current for today as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the true meaning of Easter...

I Samuel 15:22  
"Has the Lord as great delight in 
burnt offerings and sacrifices, 
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, 
and to heed than the fat of rams."

(Our Sand Hill Crane Couple are still faithfully walking together-perhaps preparing a nest?)

 Participation in Lent has always been something for me that is a personal decision for each individual to decide.  If you normally do make a decision to participate in the idea of making some personal sacrifices during this season, how does it usually go for you?  Do  you find it difficult to maintain your convictions?  What happens in your mind if you "fall off the wagon" so to speak, and give in to the temptation to do whatever it was you said you wouldn't do?  Do you get back up and start all over again? Or do you just give up altogether and decide this just wasn't a good idea for you?

My approach to Lent is that it is not so much about making a "sacrifice", as it is about moving forward in the right direction, a new beginning; a clear resolve to obey rather than sacrifice.  Writing a daily journal is one way God has directed my steps during this season of Lent in the past.   It has been a way that  I believe God has directed me to obey Him and trust Him to open new windows of opportunity as a result.  Writing something new every day is a real challenge for me, but it is also an opportunity for me to stop and listen to what God is saying to my heart, and also what He wants me to share with you.  Trust me, it has been a real lesson in obedience and self-discipline!  

Reflection of the clouds on the water...
'The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
the Lord is over many waters
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty"
Psalm 29:3-4

So, how about you?  What new sacrifices or challenges are you dealing with?  Are you finding it difficult to stay on the course? From what source do you draw strength and energy to keep moving forward? 

Let me share with you my secret...this is what "works" for me.  Perhaps it will help you as well:

1. "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!  (Philippians 4:4)
2. Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. (Philippians 4:5)
3. Be anxious for nothing, (Philippians 4:6a)
4. But in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (Philippians 4:6b)
5. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."     (Philippians 4:7)
6. "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)

Is it easy to "rejoice always" and "be anxious for nothing"?  Absolutely NOT!  It is Christ alone Who gives me the strength and energy I need to accomplish whatever task I fear or dread.  Without Christ living in me, I am powerless.  In my own strength, I fail miserably. He is my Power Source.

The question for today is this: Are you plugged in to the true "Power Source"?  If not, would you like to be? All you have to do is ask! He's much closer than you think!

"Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones,

give unto the Lord glory and strength.

Give unto the Lord the glory 

due to His name;

Worship the Lord in the

beauty of holiness."

Psalm 29:1-2

So back to the present, February 19, 2026...This week has had its blessings and challenges for sure. I have had to draw heavily on those resources of faith found in God's Word, in the book of Philippians especially, that were quoted above so many years ago! Interestingly, our current Ladies' Bible Study is in the book of Philippians, and it's as if God keeps reminding me of these words of faith and hope and peace over and over again. You'd think I'd know them totally by heart by now...but this is why a season of "Lent" is so valuable...I call it an "annual check up", to see how things are going with my heart and soul and spirit. And then to work on the areas that I notice need some "tweaking" and improvement.

Speaking of "annual check ups"...yesterday afternoon we finally had our quarterly physical check up with our doctor, to go over the lab tests and anything else that needed "improvement".  One thing right away that I learned is to be patient and accept what God knows is best for you.  I had mentioned in my previous post that our appointment was supposed to have been on Tuesday, but it was cancelled for some crazy reason unbeknownst to us. It was just as well, because they were going to put us with a P.A. instead of the "the real doctor" that we wanted to see, and so by changing the appointment to yesterday, we would get to see the "real doctor" instead.  Well, who walks into our room but the P.A.!  I said to him, "I thought we were going to see Dr.---, because we were going to go over the results of my husband's PET Scan, which we had previously discussed with him prior to the test..."   He apologized, but said that he actually was the one who had made the arrangements for the test with radiology and that he had been very much involved in the report, etc., and basically he felt that he was probably the best qualified to go over the results with us...but he would get the Doctor if that is what we wanted...but I humbled myself and kept quiet and let him go on.  As it turned out, by the time we were through with both of our exams and his explanation of our VERY EXCELLENT blood work, BTW, Praise God!, my hubby and I were both very impressed with this young man and his knowledge, and I literally apologized to him for my previous questioning of his "authority".  He was very gracious and kind, and I learned a good lesson.

Remember when I said in my previous post https://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2026/02/just-quick-check-in-about-check-up.html, that God always works all things together for our good...here's the exact verse:

Romans 8:28 NKJV

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, 

to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Yep...that's the one...and Yes, it is still so very true. Sometimes we just have to humble ourselves and sacrifice our own selfish will and accept that God DOES know best.  Remember the old TV show, "Father Knows Best"? Yes, our Heavenly Father really does know best.

As I said above, our blood work was excellent for both of us, and the report on the Pet Scan was also excellent...two big answers to prayer!

On  another note...this "Valentine's Tree" was in the waiting room at our Doctor's Office!  Can't say that I've ever seen a pink Valentine's Tree before...

The other issue we were being challenged with this week was the loss of our use of our "plumbing".  Finally we had to go ahead and schedule the septic tank to be cleaned out...

Turns out that the pipe going from the house to the tank had shifted somehow underground, and was not properly aligned with the tank,  so "things" were getting clogged at the entry to the tank.  The septic tank fellow worked very hard to fix that, and our friends from church who had done so much work the day before on the other end of the situation came back and did some more work under the house to get the pipe better supported and angled for better "flow".  Finally after two days of having our plumbing disconnected, we were able to "flush" again and take showers and wash dishes and laundry, etc.  We are SO thankful that is fixed, and the septic tank man said we should be "good to go" for maybe 10 years before needing another "clean out".  I hope he's right. This was an expensive week, but we are thankful it's done.  

Okay, that's all for today. Speaking of laundry...I am way behind in that and other cleaning jobs, so if you need me, that's where I'll be.  

Be blessed my friends. God IS in control!!!

The Secret Garden Chronicles ~ A Lenten Devotion - Updated for 2023

UPDATE:  In my last post HERE a couple of days ago, I asked the question "Do you practice Lent? What does it mean to you? Do you "give up something for Lent", or do you try to do something meaningful to observe the preparation for the Easter season?"  I got several varied and interesting responses to this question.  My thought was that perhaps there is a bit of a misconception out there about what "Lent" really means.   According to "Wikipedia", (a surprising resource for something in the religious realm), this is what it means: 

"Lent is the solemn Christian religious observance in the liturgical year commemorating the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, before beginning his public ministry. Wikipedia"

 Traditionally, Lent is the 40 days prior to Easter, beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending on "Maundy Thursday", when we remember the 'Last Supper',  the night before Good Friday, the day we remember the great sacrifice of Christ for our sins on the cross.  I know that in some church traditions the season of Lent is a time of fasting and/or "giving up something for Lent"...and also the giving of "alms" for the needy.   Perhaps some have had negative experiences with Lent, when they were forced to give up something special for that time period without truly understanding the significance of why they should do so.  To me, if a person really doesn't understand the "why", then most likely the desired results of growing closer in their relationship with Christ probably won't happen. They will become resentful and possibly angry for having to give up something when they really didn't want to. 

I was not brought up in a tradition of "giving up something for Lent".  I really don't recall understanding anything about Lent at all as a child and even as a young adult.  But in recent years I have found that setting aside this time, much like the season of Advent in preparation for the birth of Christ and its deep significance, Lent is a time to prepare our hearts for a better understanding of the great sacrifice Christ made for me on the cross...when His precious blood was shed for me and for my sins...so that I could enjoy the great joy of being set free from my sins, and because of Christ's resurrection from the dead...I can also look forward to eternal life in heaven, forever with my Lord and those who also have died in faith believing in Him.  Certainly, I can do this anytime. I don't need to wait for "Lent", but so often we get caught up in the busyness of this life and world and we begin to get a bit off kilter...we need a "reset" and a time of reflection and renewal in our spiritual life.  This is a wonderful time to do that.  

Here is what I wrote a couple of years ago...interestingly these first couple of pictures were in February of 2020, and our bluebirds are here again now at the same time, and I think they are already pretty well settled in their house/nest.  

(February 17, 2021) The Bluebirds came back again to their home on Still Waters Pond. I hope they will stay this time. They keep coming and going and can't seem to make  up their minds if they like it here or not. 

This post was originally written in 2017 on the first day of Lent from my Secret Garden at our old house in Salt Springs. I then revisited it in 2019.  I wanted to write something fresh and new today, but as I re-read this I decided I couldn't really improve on this...and as it is too chilly this morning to go sit in our new "The Secret Garden" beside Still Waters Pond,  these thoughts and moments from the past experience will have to do for now.  I pray that your Lenten experience will be filled with moments of peace and "quietude", as you contemplate the riches of God's amazing grace and love for you.

Original Post 3/1/2017:

Today is the beginning of the season of Lent... click HERE for more information about the meaning of Lent (according to Wikipedia).   

And then click HERE for one of my previous posts regarding this topic.

As I have stated in my previous post linked above,

 "My approach to Lent is that it is not so much about making a "sacrifice", as it is about moving forward in the right direction, a new beginning; a clear resolve to obey rather than sacrifice."

So today as I sat in the Secret Garden

(This was in "The Secret Garden" at our previous home in Salt Springs)

contemplating how the Lord would have me approach this Lenten season this year, I was directed to look at a few different scriptures:

Joel 2

12.  "Now, therefore, says the Lord, 

Turn to Me with all your heart,

with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.

13.  So rend your heart, and not your garments;

Return to the Lord your God,

For He is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and of great kindness;

And He relents from doing harm.

Romans 12:1-2

1.  "I beseech you therefore brethren,

by the mercies of God,

that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,

HOLY, Acceptable to God,

which is your reasonable service.

2.  And do not be conformed to this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

that you may prove what is that good and acceptable

will of God."

And then in verse 6 it says:

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us,

let us use them..."

Instead of sacrificing some thing for Lent, my prayer is that I would turn to the Lord with ALL My heart...truly "rend" (tear open, look inside) my heart, and  be that "living sacrifice, HOLY, ACCEPTABLE TO THE LORD; and that I would be more fully committed to using the gifts that God has given me for His honor and glory.  I pray also that the Lord would transform me, renew my mind, and create a clean heart within me.  (Psalm 51:10)

In the past few days I have been contemplating the word "Quietude".  Click HERE for a previous post about that.   I truly didn't realize that this was a real word that we use in our vocabulary. I thought it was a Latin word for quiet, and actually I believe that is where it originated.  But here is the definition of the word according to Dictionary.com"

qui·e·tude

ˈkwīəˌt(y)o͞od/

noun

1. 
   

   1.
   

   the state of being quiet; tranquility; calmness; stillness; quiet.

My "One Word" for 2017 is "REST".  It would appear that "quietude" and "rest" go together quite nicely.    I'm wondering how the Lord is going to dovetail these two words as I approach His throne during this season of opening my heart before Him...

"For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:

'In returning and REST you shall be saved;

In QUIETNESS and confidence

shall be your strength.'"

Isaiah 30:15

"The work of righteousness will be peace,

and the effect of righteousness,

quietness and assurance forever."

Isaiah 32:17

"You will keep him in perfect peace,

whose mind is stayed on You,

because he trusts in You."

Isaiah 26:3

I believe that God is leading me into a place of "perfect peace", as I REST and TRUST in His Word, and in "quietness and confidence" be assured of God giving me the strength I need to face whatever challenges may lie ahead.

I look forward to experiencing what the Lord is going to show me during this time of "quietude", as He prepares my heart to remember Christ's great sacrifice for my sins...and the 

gift of eternal life that He gave to all of us who would believe, on His Resurrection Day!

Hold on friends, 

Easter is coming!

(All photos were taken as I sat in the Secret Garden today (in 2017) contemplating these thoughts and passages. I found it to be a very tranquil and serene setting watching the Cardinal and the Chickadees...as they watched me as well.  God is so good! Amen?!)

Back to the Present (2023).  I hope you enjoyed this journey back in time and that it was a quiet respite for your soul. May we truly appreciate this time of reflection and renewal during these next 40 days, on our journey to the cross and then thankfully, to the empty tomb!  Praise God!  Many of you may have already commented on this post in previous years. Sometimes it is interesting to go back and see where we were in our thoughts at that time.  May we continue in our growth in our relationship with Jesus. Amen.

Friday Foto Friends, It's Good Friday...(Revisited)

Note to my readers: I have posted this same post twice today...one was the repeat of the old, and the other was a new copy w/o the old comments. Sorry if that is confusing to you...I wanted a 'fresh copy' to post on my church's facebook page. Anyway, I hope you'll forgive me for posting it twice in one day! Thank you for understanding. I should have done the new one first, but as usual, I'm slow to think these things out.  Have a blessed an prayerful "Good Friday" my friends.

This is another repeat of a previous year's Good Friday post.  As I re-read it just now, I was so touched by the message that God gave me here in 2018, that I wanted to share it with you again. Many of you may have already commented on it in previous years, but I hope you will appreciate the wonder of this day with me once again as we reflect on God's great sacrifice for our sins today.

Original Message 3/30/2018:

Dear Friday Foto Friends...Please bear with me as I share these pictures with you and tie them into Good Friday...a very sacred and Holy Day...The day our Lord was crucified for our sins...so that we might live forever with Him in heaven one day! What an amazing day this is...

Sunday morning as we went forward to take communion, I knelt before the altar to pray, and I was struck by the emblems displayed there on the communion table...the whole of Holy Week was right there before my eyes...The palms for Palm Sunday,  The Bread and the Cup for the Last Supper, and the cross with the crown of thorns that Jesus wore...

 and upon a closer look, I was shocked to see the nails that pierced His hands and feet, and the whip of cords that struck His back and body over and over again, and the money bag with the thirty pieces of silver that Judas received for betraying our Lord...

These items took my breath away...I wasn't expecting to see them there...and it brought me face to face with the agony that our Lord endured that week on my behalf...and as I ate the bread and drank the cup, I prayed that God would forgive my sins and make me worthy of His shed blood...I am only worthy because of His shed blood...His sacrifice that made me whole and declared me to be holy...what a humbling and beautiful experience...such joy in knowing Christ died for me...because He loved me! And He died for YOU, too, because He loves YOU.  I hope you know this to be true in your own life...

Earlier last week during one of our walks I noticed this thistle plant growing alongside the road...look at those thorns...can you imagine the pain of bumping into this plant?  Now imagine having a crown of thorns forced upon  your head...and nails hammered into your hands and feet...No, I can't imagine how painful that must have been...

"Who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,

and as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form or comeliness;

and when we see Him,

there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

He is despised and rejected by men,

a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him.

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Isaiah 53:1-3

Surely He has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

Yet we esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten by God, and afflicted.

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

the chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

Isaiah 53:4-6

A few days later we passed by this same thistle plant, and look!!! Out of something so wicked and evil as these thorny thistles came a thing of great beauty...All of these beautiful butterflies were drawn to this prickly plant to find food and sustenance for their lives!  There were so many they had to fight each other for a place on the flowers to sip its nourishing nectar and live...

Who would have thought that out of something so full of "sorrow" as this thistle would come such life giving food?

Isaiah 53:10-12

"Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;

He has put Him to grief.

When You make His soul and offering for sin,

He shall see His seed,

He shall prolong His days,

and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper  in His hand.

He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,

for He shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,

and He shall divide the spoil with the strong,

Because He poured out His soul unto death,

and He was numbered with the transgressors,

and He bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors."

Thank You, Lord, for Your sacrifice for my sins. Out of Your suffering and great sorrow came new life and extreme joy.  Thank You for the beautiful gift of Your grace and salvation...and food for our souls so that we might live, and that more abundantly.   Amen.

Have a Blessed and Glorious Easter, my friends!

Memorial Day Thoughts and Blessings

"Oh say, can you see

By the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed

At the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars

Through the perilous fight

O'er the ramparts we watched,

Were so gallantly, yeah, streaming?

And the rockets' red glare

The bombs bursting in air

Gave proof through the night

That our flag was still there

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free 

and the home of the brave!"

Thank You, Lord, for so many who have gone before us, fighting valiantly for the safety and protection of our great nation, and the freedoms we hold so dearly.

Help us remember and honor them today in our hearts, 

and never forget what it cost those brave soldiers and pioneers so that we could have the blessings of 

living in still the greatest nation in the world.

May it ever be blessed by You, Lord, and let us not take these freedoms for granted.

Help us remember that freedom is not free. It was paid by the blood of those who loved this country so much that they were willing to fight and lay down their lives for our sake.

May we never forget their sacrifice.

Amen.

John 15:13 

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"

Have a blessed Memorial Day, dear friends,

and take a moment to honor the memory of those great men and women

who gave their lives for us.

Meanwhile, I wanted to share a few Bluebird pictures...Yes, father Bluebird is still busily feeding his young family. Mother Bluebird is as well.

These pictures were taken last evening, and the lighting was getting dim, so they are not as clear as I'd like, but they are great close ups of father bluebird with supper in his mouth...ready to feed his hungry brood.

However, I learned that as long as I was sitting there on the porch taking his picture, he would not go to the birdhouse and feed them.

He soon flew away because I had not left yet.

And because of this pitiful face looking out the window, hungrily awaiting his supper, I decided I'd best go inside and allow them to be fed.

Usually around Memorial day we try to plant something in our Memorial Garden in memory of our son Matthew. He passed away from his valiant battle with cancer on May 25, 2014, which was actually Memorial Day weekend that year. And so every Memorial Day brings back those memories to us.

Recently, my sister Doris had given me a lovely new azalea bush, which she intended for us to put in the Memorial Garden. I've had it for a little while, but we just hadn't gotten around to planting it.

So over the weekend our son Scott finally planted it for me. It was starting to get a bit stressed from the heat and needed to get planted.

It doesn't look like much right now, but it will soon perk up and begin growing, and by next spring we should have some lovely azalea blossoms on it. We planted alongside some other smaller azalea bushes that we had planted earlier this spring in the "Secret Memorial Garden".

(Secret Garden and Memorial Garden combined)

When we come and sit in this lovely cool spot beside Still Waters Pond, we know that Matthew would be very pleased to be remembered here of all places. If he were still with us, he'd be out there fishing in that pond every chance he could.

Okay, what are you doing today to commemorate this day of remembrance?

Our church family is going to have a picnic today at the church parsonage.  It is a kind of celebration of coming through the pandemic this past year without losing any member of our church due to Covid. We were extremely blessed and very thankful. Our congregation is made up of primarily senior citizens over 70 years of age. The only person we even know who was diagnosed with Covid was actually a younger person in his 30's, and he came through just fine.  We are counting our blessings for sure. God has been very gracious to us and we give Him much thanks.

Have a blessed and beautiful day today.

 

 

A Comforter in the Garden - Updated

This is a repost, but well worth repeating.  

3/29/2018:  This has been a week for "comforting" in the garden. Just last evening I sat in this very garden with my dear daughter in law, whose mother had passed away early that morning after a prolonged illness.  Even after "prolonged illnesses" our hearts are broken when a loved one is finally called home to heaven.  I was able to share some of the ways God had comforted me with the passing of my own mother and also our son. I pray the Lord will comfort our sweet daughter in law and her family during this time of sorrow, just prior to Easter.  My own father passed away just prior to Easter, and I remember thinking how marvelous that he would be celebrating Easter in heaven with Jesus! What a glorious time to enter heaven's gates! And, if it weren't for Easter and all that Jesus did for us at that time, we wouldn't even have an opportunity to enter heaven at all. Hallelujah, What a Saviour! (click here for a previous post about this song)

Original Post 3/24/16:

"Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; 

nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.

Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  

Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

Luke 22:42-44

I was sitting in my garden, enjoying the sounds of the birds and admiring the beauty of the flowers blooming on this lovely spring day, when suddenly it hit me:  Today is Maundy Thursday...the day Christians remember that this was the day that our Lord went to the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed...the night before His crucifixion and death.  It was in the garden that the Bible tells us He prayed to His Father, pleading if it were possible to "take this cup away from Me"...meaning the cup of His sacrifice of His life for the sins of the world...knowing that He would actually become sin for us, so that we would no longer be lost in our sins.  The Bible tells us that Jesus was actually in agony, so much so that "His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

In Luke's Gospel quoted above, we are told that "an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him."

I had never noticed this particular passage until this past Sunday when we read it in our Bible Study time.  It truly touched my heart to think that our Lord was suffering so greatly that God the Father actually sent an angel to comfort Him and give Him strength for the horrendous journey ahead.

As I was writing this just now a friend called me and asked me to pray for her daughter. We've been praying for this dear one for quite a while. She's been going through some very difficult surgeries and has a serious bacterial infection right now.  As I spoke with this distraught mother, I visualized this angel comforting Jesus in the garden...and I reminded my friend of this story as she had also been here with us on Sunday when we discovered this verse in our time of worship and Bible study. We both were comforted as we thought about the angel comforting Jesus...and realized that God sends His angels to comfort us during times of distress as well.  The angel may come in the form of a friend who is there to pray or lend a helping hand. Or perhaps a word of scripture that gives hope and encouragement at just the right moment...much like this one.

I don't know about you, but I find this so comforting. Jesus was not alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, even though His disciples had fallen asleep just a stone's throw away when He had asked them to watch and pray with Him.  God the Father saw His Son's agony and sent an angel to minister to Him.  God sees our agony and sends His angels to comfort us...just when we need it most.

My garden above is a special place set aside in our yard to honor the memory of our son, who died in May of 2014.  I love to sit there and pray and think about God's mercy and grace.  Even though our son died after a long battle with cancer, God did not leave us comfortless.  He sent His angels to minister to us throughout that long ordeal...and His Holy Spirit is always with us to comfort us during our times of grief.  

Maybe there are some of you who need these words of comfort today. Perhaps you are in your own kind of "Garden of Gethsemane"... and this picture of Jesus being strengthened by the angel might give you hope.  I hope so.  

Remember...even though things may look dark today...Sunday is coming...Easter day! The day we celebrate Christ's resurrection from the dead...the day He burst forth from the tomb victorious over death to give us life everlasting!  So...no matter how bleak things may appear today...we have this hope in Christ Jesus! Victory is on the horizon!  

"Obedience or Sacrifice~Which Will it Be?" Recycled

Good Morning Friends...I've been a little out of sync here lately when it comes to writing and posting...it's been too hot and dry to sit in the Secret Garden...mostly I've been watering flowers and trying to keep them living...and I've neglected my own thirst for the Living Water that only time spent  alone with Christ can quench.  So here it is Sunday morning, and I'm feeling dry and empty.  So I went back to the "well"...prayed the Lord would refill my cup to overflowing and help me to be able to focus my thoughts and heart on Him and Him alone.  Easter is coming in a couple of weeks, and my heart needs to be prepared for all of the sorrow mixed with joy of these events, as we walk through the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus, and up onto the cross on Calvary...as we remember His death and sacrifice for our sins...MY sins...and then as we rejoice with Mary and the Disciples at the Empty Tomb...yes...my heart needs to be prepared.

I was searching back through some of my old posts and came across this one that was originally posted here in 2012, for what was then called "Random Journal Day"...a day when we open up our old journals and post something randomly chosen...so that is what this is, and it was from my journal back in 2002.  As I re-read what was written here, I was reminded that "obedience is better than sacrifice"...and perhaps that is where I need to return...back to "obedience".






From My Journal, Written on Tuesday, January 22, 2002
"It would appear that I am home "sick" a lot, because that seems to be the only time I can find the time to write!  I am home from work today with a bad cold or sinus infection.  It is a gray, cloudy day, but doesn't seem to be too cold.  (We live in Florida, so I'm sure it wasn't too cold, even in January)

I have been thinking about yesterday's devotional reading from I Samuel 15:22-23 ~

"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?   Behold, to obey  is better than sacrifce, and to heed than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king."

Although this was directed to King Saul, it has application for us today.  I know that I must obey the voice of the Lord in all things~in every area of my life~regardless of what sacrifices may have to be made. 

Sometimes it is easier to say, "But Lord, look at all I've done for you~And look at the sacrifices I've already made to serve You."   And God says, "Yes, child, I know you have been faithful in many things~but you must continue to obey Me and trust Me in ALL ways.  Don't give in to the "martyr" syndrome.  Keep your eyes fixed on ME, Jesus, the Author and finisher of your faith...

"Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Hebrews 12:2

A song I am listening to while I write is "Where There is Faith": 

"Where There is Faith" by 4Him (click on this link for a video of this song)

"I believe in faithfulness

I believe in giving up myself

for someone else;

I believe in peace and love,

I believe in honesty and trust;

But it's not enough~

For all that I believe

may never change the

way it is,

Unless I believe that

Jesus lives~

Where there is faith

there is a voice calling

'Keep walking,

You're not alone in this world~

Where there is faith~

There is a peace like a

child sleeping~

Hope everlasting

in Him Who is able to

bear every burden,

to heal every hurt

in my heart~

It's a wonderful, powerful place,

Where there is faith."

Christ's bequest of peace:

"Peace I leave with you~My peace I give to you~ Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  John 14:27

Isaiah 26:3-4 says:

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because He trusts in You.  Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength."

Back to the present:  I guess that message must have helped, because I didn't write for quite a while after that...life became very busy.  God opened a new window of opportunity, and we were soon called to obey  and move to another place to serve the Lord after a time of rest and recuperation from some difficult things we were going through during that time.  God restored my sense of peace and gave me the faith to keep going in the face of some very hard obstacles.  That doesn't mean that life became perfect and I never had any more struggles with obedience or trust...no, that seems to continue in cycles...but thankfully God continues to meet me in those hard places and carries me through.  He keeps calling to me to

"Keep walking...you're not alone in this world...where there is faith..."  (4Him)

 
So what about you?  Have you found that it is better to obey than to sacrifice?  

Postscript:  In writing a response to one of my blogger friend's comments (see Modern Day Disciple below) I added these thoughts that I felt needed to be added to the body of this post:

Yes, it is during those times of trial and testing that I discovered the riches of God's grace, mercy, and love. I also found out that it IS truly better to obey than to sacrifice...oftentimes our "sacrifices" make us feel self-righteous and holier than thou. But when we humble ourselves and OBEY God's word and His leading in our lives, our sacrifices seem very small compared to the joy and glory of following our Master and Lord in His steps.