Threshing floor

I got to spend some awesome time with one of my best friends today. Jes and I took most of the morning and the beginning of the afternoon being lazy and getting ready for the day. We ended up going thrifting, which is something I love but haven't done in a while. I found some gems: a Harry Potter board game, a Carol Burnett vinyl, and some other random 7"'s that I'm going to hang in my room. To top it all off, I didn't spend more than $5.

Afterwards, we went over to Pathways for the Deaf Church lesson/service. I got to sign with some really awesome deaf people, and I even had a little interpreting experience because Jes didn't know any sign language. Needless to say, I want to do stuff like that all the time. I need more deaf friends =)

Okay, so at bible study tonight, God laid something on my heart. It's something I learned about a few years ago when the Gawlowicz Gang was at FSCC, and for whatever reason, God placed it back in my life.

In our various small groups, we've been talking a little bit here and there about love costing us something. I'm sure most of you have heard the three types of love before, but this particular type of love referred to here is agape. In 2 Samuel 24, we learn that David clearly recognizes he is being judged by God for his sins and needs to repent. Because of him, the Lord put a plague in the land, then took it away. (I'm summarizing here.) Gad told David to raise up an altar to God, more specifically, with the threshing floor that Araunah had, because the angel of the Lord was near it when the Lord stopped the plague in Jerusalem.

David finds Araunah and wants to buy the threshing floor, oxen, etc to make a sacrifice to God. Araunah, recognizing that David is king, offers those things to him for free. But this is David's reply, and the whole point of all of this:

"But the king said to Araunah, 'No, I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.' So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver."

-2 Samuel 24:24 (ESV)

David refused to make a sacrifice that didn't cost him something. In fact, it's not really a sacrifice at all if it doesn't cost you something. Jesus showed His agape love for us when He died on the cross and rose from the grave. True love is sacrificial. What is your sacrifice?

peace, agape, and old bands.

kae