freedom... to lay down an offering...

offering... the act of one who offers... something offered especially: a sacrifice

ceremonially offered as part of worship... a contribution to the support of a church...

---Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Ed.

Yesterday... I had an opportunity to give an offering at church...

Not a monetary gift in the offering plate... but a time of witness... sharing part of my story... through a prayer and praise service...

This is not something I've done before... at least not in a public setting... with a microphone and sound system...

Multiple times... I've shared bits of my story... one on one... or in small groups... Bible studies... so yesterday... felt like a sacrifice...

But the funny thing was... this whole opportunity... this offering... appears to be an answer to prayer... one I wrote in a journal... way back in January...

Lord, free me up to use the gifts You've given me

boldly and without fear! or false humility.

The journaling about offering... came to my attention the eve of the service...

Forgotten pages became most significant in my preparation...

My desire... was to be available to Him... to share the work He's done in me... through His Word... and prayer...

My usual way would be to fret... write... know exactly what to say... but that just wasn't the way this time...

I wrestled with resisting the urge to practice in my head... 

He called me to let my story speak... in that moment... as He led...

and really... I mostly had peace...

The morning came... my flesh wanted to bolt... but my spirit seemed calm... prepared...

I prayed earnestly... to be a blessing to Him... to His church... to give an offering... a contribution of spiritual support to His people...

Another line in my journal helped me prepare for this moment...

...an offering is an act of worship given solely with God in mind...

The freedom of offering solely to Him... allowed me the freedom to lay down my offering... leave it on the altar... no need to review... critique... seek affirmation from others...

Whatever your offering... use your freedom in Christ... to contribute to the support of His people... whether it's monetary... spiritual... service... whatever... 

Lay it down for Him on the altar... and thank Him... for what He's done for you...

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another,

as good stewards of God's varied graces...

in order that in everything God may be glorified

through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion

forever and ever. Amen

1 Peter 4:10-11 ESV

the evening offering... a return...

The time of evening offering... is becoming a joy... a need...

I see it as a time of returning to Him... at the end of the day...

It's where I consciously begin my morning... and there is something very restful... in making a conscious return...

Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says:

'Return to me,' declares the Lord Almighty, 

'and I will return to you,' says the Lord Almighty.

Zechariah 1:3

But it's not so much that He's left me... it's that I've let the busy-ness of the day... and the rush into evening... distract me from His presence...

Return to Me... and I will return to you...

Yes... there is rest... and joy... found in the evening offering... a return...

time to return...

When nothing seems to be going quite right... I'm reminded... it's time to return... for an evening offering...

Return, O my soul, to your rest;

for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

Psalm 116:7 ESV

Your bounty seen throughout the day...

Your faithfulness in ordering my day...

encouragement from a friend...

the blessing of encouraging another...

my family...

my faith...

Your omnipresence...

and a depth of grace that's incomprehensible...!

---but God shows his love for us 

in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 ESV

Yes... You have dealt bountifully with me...

far more than I deserve...

Return... O my soul... to your rest...

Related fare...

morning... and... evening...

wondering... why returning to Him... in the evening... is hard...

wondering... why returning to Him... in the evening... is hard...

I confess... in the pursuit of a regular... disciplined... evening offering of time to Him... I've failed...

Now... I knew it would be hard... and I would fail at some point... but it's made me wonder... Why is it so hard...? to return to Him... in the evening...?

Or maybe a better question is... Why has the morning offering... become such a blessing...?

A hymn from Sunday... causes me to ponder this question...

Morning has Broken... its last verse...

Praise with elation, praise every morning,

God's recreation of the new day!

And I see it... each morning... an opportunity to re-create a new day... an opportunity to start fresh...

The blessing of a do-over each day... drives me to sit with Him... seeking... praising...

Approaching Him... each morning with an anticipation... fresh... like coffee... warming up to Him... awakening with Him...

So what... about the evening... is so hard...? What attitude should I take toward Him in the evening...? What desires... do I have... at the end of the day...?

This morning... in the fresh... looking back on the failure... and a lame effort at an offering last evening... I see my greatest desire at the end of the day... is... rest...

Just as He re-creates each new day... resurrects us from sleep... to new life... He also offers rest...

"... Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest. ..." --- Jesus

Matthew 11:28 ESV

To cease from work... and rest in Him... here is the attitude... the stance... the approach... to take toward the evening offering...

Giving Him... each failure... and victory... from the day...

Receiving... forgiveness... and grace...

Recognizing... Him at work... in all of it...

So I might... rest...

Today... my attitude toward the evening offering... will be seeking rest... at the end of the day... even when there may still be work to do...

Lord... help me to develop an attitude... of anticipation... 

for the evening offering... of time to You...

You invite me... to rest... in You... 

and that is what I desire... at the end of each day...

You are... my... Rest...

The prayer... to begin... an evening offering...

Return, O my soul, to your rest;

for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

Psalm 116:7 ESV

Related fare:
daily devotions... fresh each day... like coffee...
more early morning thoughts... on daily devotions... and coffee...

evening... vs... morning...

Today... the third evening to sacrifice an offering of time to Him...

The first evening... at the end of a working day...

I face a challenge with the evening offering...

A challenge to rest... be quiet... before Him...
putting aside the day... and all its clutter...

In the morning... it's a waking from rest...
mind clear... the whole day unwritten...

Coming in the evening... activity still rushes...

How do I put this day down...? 
How do I lay it at His feet...?

I remembered an online site a dear sister told me about...

examen.me 

A helpful way... to connect with Him... through Scripture and prayer... directed choices...

Here I found a way to disconnect from a full day...
to present an offering of praise to Him...

Maybe you will find it helpful to... in your sacrifice of time... to Him...

Be at rest once more, O my soul,

for the Lord has been good to you.

Psalm 116:7

lay it down...

Too often... after an act of obedience... following through on the call... to speak... act... offer... I critique... analyze... think about way too much... what I've done... how I've done it...

Too often... I go back... consider... pick it up... pick at it... mentally... emotionally... and wonder if it was right... self-consciousness taking over... after the fact...

This thought pattern... an off-shoot of the critical spirit... needs to go...

The words that came to mind this morning... in the gray dawn... between wake... and sleep... as I currently wrestle with an offering... of obedience... from last night...

Lay... it... down...

When we act in obedience... by faith... to the call of that Still Small Voice... we need to trust... trust Him with the outcome... with the gift... because it's not about us... it's about Him...

Obedience is a love-offering... placed on His altar...

Once placed... leave it... allow Him to consume it... use it... how He sees fit... trust... His purpose... and... lay... it... down... 

A thought... that helps... in considering the opportunity given yesterday... words that will... release this heart... from self-torment... through self-analyzation... self-criticism... in something that wasn't even my idea to begin with...

In reality... the act of obedience... cannot be recovered... it is poured out... like water on the ground... a lamb slain on the altar...

To lay it down... is far preferable... than to find yourself standing in regret... holding the jar still filled... the bleating lamb still at your heels... facing opportunities missed... hesitation... doubt... stealing obedience...

Great Words... to help move forward... cleanse a thought life... and embolden... radical... obedience...

Lay... It... Down...

Fire came out from the presence of the Lord

and consumed the burnt offering 

and the fat portions on the altar.

And when all the people saw it,

 they shouted for joy

and fell facedown.

Leviticus 9:24

(my emphasis)

Father God... fill me with the awe... wonder... and joy... of offering acts of obedience on Your altar... help me to lay them down... for You to consume... according to Your will... and purpose... by faith...