Do you ever wonder why people who do not fear God seem to have many friends and are prosperous? It may seem like they are never in trouble, want, or need. But, do not let this cause you to worry, do not question God as to why it is this way. Keep the faith, continue to fear God, and he promised, that, if you do not lose heart, you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. If God so causes good on those who do not fear him, would he not more cause good on those who fear him? Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart; he will give you the desires of your heart.

“When a man presents a peace offering to the Lord from the herd or flock to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without blemish or defect to be acceptable.” Too many of us make vows to the Lord that we do not keep or try to cheat him of what was promised or try give him the trappings of our possessions. But, know that all that we have received, all that we claim as our possessions are gifts from God, and we are reminded in Deuteronomy chapter twenty three and verse 21, “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin.”

But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I do not delight in burnt offerings and sin offerings.” I the Lord take pleasure in those who fear me, in those who hope in my steadfast love. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” Matthew 9:13

Will God have reason to reject the gifts we bring? My brothers and sisters in Christ, Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was a tiller of the soil, but, “It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.” How acceptable are the gifts you and I bring before God? Are we giving God our first fruits or just some of what he has so freely given to us?

Justice belongs to the Lord. “The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this, they fret over doers of evil and envy those who do wrong. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; fret not when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes.” But understand this, “Though the wicked sprout like weeds and evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.”

“Would the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” My brothers and sisters in Christ, there is no sin offering that will ever be acceptable before God. Only by his grace we are redeemed.

“The servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows. But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” My brothers and sisters in Christ, what does the Lord require from you and I. “He hath shown thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8

If we put our hands to the plough and turn back, after we have come to know God, if we have escaped the wickedness of the world and once again become entangled in them, scripture reminds us, that, “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and turned away from the holy commandment passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and, ‘A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.’ In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. For, if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But, those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble.”

“It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God, and the power of the age to come and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; since by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.” My brothers and sisters in Christ, I have tasted, I have seen, I have experienced the goodness of the Lord. I have been lifted up, I have been redeemed, and from this day forward and with God’s help I will not turn away from him nor continue to nail him to a cruel cross. Troubles and temptations will come but I am confident of this very thing that, my God will always uphold me with his righteous right hand. I will never be alone because God walks with me.

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subjected to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But, because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions, it is by grace you have been saved.”