Perfectly Acceptable

Daily Reading: Leviticus 22

Scripture Focus: To be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it. (Leviticus 22.21)

Devotional Thought: A good friend of mine has a tee-shirt that says, "I may not be perfect, but Jesus thinks I'm to die for"! I love that shirt! How I agree with that sentiment! And, the older I get, the more I find myself agreeing with it. Perfect seems like such an unattainable goal, doesn't it? My two-year old granddaughter, Ellis, sometimes says, "That's not perfect." For her, that simply means something is not quite right. Not quite right... Almost, but not quite.

In Leviticus, God instructed the Israelites to bring only perfect animals as sacrifices to him. Perfect? Animals do get wounded and bruised and scarred after all. I wonder if those Old Testament worshipers sometimes despaired at being able to find a perfect sacrifice from among their flocks and herds.

Then, in the New Testament, we are told to offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12.1). Surely a New Testament sacrifice cannot be any less perfect than an Old Testament sacrifice. Can it? How can I bring myself to God? I'm not perfect. I've been wounded and bruised and scarred.

Do not despair! The perfect sacrifice has been found! It is the man Jesus Christ. When John the Baptist first saw him, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1.29). Jesus - as the perfect man - gave his life on the cross as our sacrifice. There is no blemish in him. It is when I enter into his death that my sacrifice is made perfect, acceptable to God. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, that you bore my sins on the cross of Calvary. You became the perfect sacrifice, acceptable for my sins and for the sins of the world. I enter into your death and thereby receive your life and power today. Amen.

Psalm of the Day: 1 The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." 2 The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! 3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. 4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." (Psalms 110:1-4)