But I noticed something about the nature of Daddy and grace this morning in reading through the oracles for sin offerings. If someone sinned, they were to bring an offering to receive forgiveness of that sin. They were told to bring a lamb of certain standard. But, if they couldn't afford the lamb, then there was an alternative. If they couldn't afford that, then there was something else they could bring. And still less and less was demanded, until finally the poor could bring a bushel of flour. Even under the harsh restrictions of the old law, the purpose of which was to show us that we needed a Savior because we could not fulfill the requirements of the law, there was grace. Daddy showed His love for all by making a way of pardon for those who had fallen short. And He never said do this or die and if you can't then make an offering, and if you can't afford the offering you're screwed.
Even those without resources were given grace. This standard served as a foreshadowing of what was to come in Jesus when He would pour out His life to bridge the gap between our ability and resources and the standard of holiness justice demanded. It is so easy to slip into condemnation and feel that we are lost because there is no way for us to make right our wrongs. We can not make amends for all that we have done. We simply don't have the ability or resources. We don't deserve forgiveness and relationship with Daddy. So we don't run to Him. Instead we struggle through life in defeat and guilt. But we don't have to do that! Grace made a way. Jesus paid the price. Today we don't even have to come up with a bushel of flour to find forgiveness. All we need bring to the altar is ourselves. Just as we are, blemished, broken and stained. We bring our feelings of worthlessness, our guilt, our shame, our rebellion and our failure and say, this is who I am and what I have. It is Yours God, to do with as You please. And He takes it and, in exchange, gives us the riches of rightness with Him, paid for by the perfect sacrifice of Christ.
Today, let us not seek to pay our way. Let us not seek to deserve and then feel unable to come to Daddy because we don't deserve. Instead, let us lay aside the weight of guilt and shame and the burden of the past on the altar of love and freely receive the relationship and love He so desperately wants us to have from Him. Forgiveness isn't free, but we don't ever have to pay the price. Daddy doesn't want or need or effort and our sacrifices. All He ever wanted was our heart, and He has done all that is needed to make it possible for us to bring that to Him.
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