My resource – My knife – Obey Better than Sacrifice

WASPs, and I do not mean White Anglo Saxon Protestants, were out and about with us this weekend. My youngest got stung and after some crying and some ice and a little parental input she replied: “That wasn’t as bad as I feared.” Very mature for the 11-year-old. My sister was with us and of course she was deathly afraid. Her last wasp sting almost killed her, and it took two epi-pens and a miracle to revive her. It reminds me of the concept that we all have our own cross to bear.

The one thing we all have, whether we know it or not, is the single best resource in the universe, my resource, Jesus. While I am not afraid of wasps, I certainly do not want to get stung. I think I was about 12 last time I got stung and it was high enough on my arm that I could not get it into the tub of ice water comfortably and I thought my elbow was going to fall off in the process of keeping the sting site cold. Wasps are of course everywhere and are a common issue for many, at least here in Texas. Beyond the ability to pray and ask Jesus to keep the wasps away, we can pray to remain calm, to learn to avoid them, and to recover if stung. This is no different from any other situation we face as Christ provides all we need.

When I was a scout, I obtained a scout knife. They were similar to a Swiss army knife, only much simpler. We were taught how to use all the tools and I carried it with me almost all the time. I think I still have it, but at some point along the way I got out of the habit. I carry a smaller single blade knife now (made in the USA) and while it comes in handy some, its not nearly as functional, just easier to carry. One of the interesting passages I read described Jesus as my knife. Beyond being my resource, He is a tool I can use for many things in everyday life, but specifically He provides the tool to cut sin out of my life, to chose what comes out, to get it out, and to keep it out. And of course, this is different than His characteristic as a sword, but not entirely.

Something I read covered the relationship between obey and sacrifice. One characteristic of Jewish life before the Messiah was the need to sacrifice animals and produce of the fields to God. The idea was that you thanked God and recognized that He always gave you more than you needed. The idea of sacrifice was highly regarded in the culture. On this one occasion, one Jew in particular failed to obey God kept some plunder to sacrifice to God. Or at least that was his story. He really wanted to keep the good stuff for himself and made up the excuse. God was not pleased, and the prophet told the Jew that to obey the command of God is much better than even the genuine desire to sacrifice to Him. God burned all the things that were held back, and the Jew lost his position, as king.

Jesus is my tool, my resource to function in this world and I function best when I obey His commands. The Bible tells us that Jesus’s commands are simple to follow. If only we die to ourselves and live for Him.