Will You Pay The Price?
Welcome to our first devotion of 2017! I appreciate your comments regarding last year’s devotions and I look forward to sharing this year with you!
There is a quote that has captivated my attention. In fact, it has become my motto for 2017. The quote is: For anything worth having, one must pay the price.
Many people make New Year’s resolutions. According to Google, the top two resolutions are: Get Healthy, and Get Organized.
How does one “get healthy?” Think about it. There is no magical pill that suddenly makes you a healthy person overnight. At least, not any that I have taken. And where do you start on getting organized? Around our house, clutter does not magically transport itself to the proper place. While resolutions seem charming enough, they all demand a big question, Will you pay the price?
In 2 Samuel 24, King David had sinned against the Lord and thousands of people were slain as a result. When David sought forgiveness, the prophet instructed him to build an altar and sacrifice to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. When David requested to buy the threshing floor, Araunah wanted to give it as a free gift. But look at David’s response:
And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 2 Samuel 24:24
What is it that you want from God in 2017? Ponder for a moment about what that desire will cost you. Often God asks for something that demands personal sacrifice. Could it cost you a friend, a dream, or a job?
Years ago, my Dad worked as an inspector for a military contractor in Kellyville, Oklahoma. Each part that he inspected had to meet military standards or they would not be accepted. One day, his boss came over and said, “David, we know that some of these parts are not up to military standards. But I want you to sign the paperwork that says that they are up to par.” That night, Dad went home and said to my Mother, “We may be about to lose my job because I will not go against my conscious and lie about something that is not right.” Several days later the boss came back and asked why Dad was not following his instructions. When Dad explained that he could not go against his conscience, the boss said, “Aw, David just do it a few times and it won’t bother your conscience anymore.” Dad explained that even if it meant getting laid off, he still could not do this.
Friend, whatever you desire from the Lord in 2017 will be worth paying the price. There are some specific things that I am asking of the Lord and I want to look at that price tag and commit myself to the cost.
Did my Dad get laid off? On the contrary, he actually got promoted! The boss had found an honest man that he could trust with greater responsibilities. Thankfully, Dad didn’t lose his job, but the fact remains that he was fully prepared to be fired for holding to his integrity. Are you willing to pay that price? There is a quote that my late Grandpa would say many times during his ministry:
Heaven will be cheap no matter what price you have to pay!