“You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 17:1, ESV).

God instructed the Israelites to use the highest quality animals in their herds as sacrifices. If God didn’t designate any standards for the livestock, the Israelites would likely use the ones with blemishes or defects for sacrifices!

They would use the ones of lowest quality–the ones most convenient and practicable for them to use.

But God wanted the best livestock for sacrifices to Him, the ones that required a sacrifice on the part of the sacrificer.

Because the fidelity of the sacrifice indicates the fidelity of the sacrificer.

Fidelity is the strict observance of promises or duties. We generally use the term “fidelity” as a condition of a marriage relationship. The expectation of a marriage is conjugal faithfulness–that each marriage partner will not engage in sexual relationships with other people.

God demands fidelity in our relationship with Him–absolute allegiance, complete loyalty, total devotion. Living for Him becomes our main priority!

Unfortunately, we often find ourselves practicing a religion of convenience rather than a life of self-sacrifice. We do God’s will to the extent that it is convenient–until it requires a personal sacrifice.

But, the moral ground on which we establish a relationship with God is to give up, surrender, relinquish or abandon our own self-interests and self-will in favor of God’s will.

When you cease to make your own will the object of your life and begin to make God’s will the focus of your life, then God will demonstrate His provision in your life.

God invests His eternal and abundant life in people who abdicate their own self-will and self-interests in order to do God’s will.

In other words, following Jesus costs you all of the only thing your really have–your right to your own self!

But that’s not the end of the story: By the very act of giving up something of less value, something supremely more valuable is secured–God’s provision.

When the kingdom of God and His righteousness becomes the absolute priority of your life, God has promised that providing for you is His absolute priority!

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Luke 6:38, NIV)