Psalms 54:6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.
Let me share a story about King Frederick William III of Prussia. During his reign, he faced a tough situation. The nation was drained financially because of costly wars, and he needed a solution to rebuild. After much thought, he came up with a bold idea. He asked the women of Prussia to give up their gold and silver jewelry to support their country. In return, he offered them decorations made of bronze or iron, inscribed with the words, “I gave gold for iron, 1813.”
The response was incredible. Women eagerly gave up their treasures, but something even more remarkable happened—they cherished those simple iron and bronze tokens far more than their original jewelry. Why? Because those tokens were a sign of their sacrifice for their king and country.
Now think about this: when we come to know our King — we’re invited to make a similar exchange. He doesn’t just take the “jewels” of our old life, the things we value most; He also takes our brokenness, our rags, and turns them into something beautiful for His Kingdom.
Maybe today, there’s something God is asking you to surrender to Him. A habit, a worry, or even a treasure you’re holding onto. Let’s take a moment to pray and seek His guidance. When we sacrifice for our King, the blessings He gives in return are far greater than anything we let go of. Trust Him—great things await those who give!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]In Matthew 21, Yeshua (Jesus) approached a fig tree full of leaves but found no fruit. He cursed it, and it withered. This dramatic act was not about the tree—it was about Israel. The fig tree had the appearance of life, but it lacked the substance of transformation. It was a warning to a nation full of religion but void of repentance. The tree became a symbol of spiritual barrenness, of form without fruit.
The parable of the fig tree is not just a message to observers — it’s a summons to the faithful. The fig tree puts out its leaves first, then comes the fruit. Spiritually, that’s a call to live in readiness even before the final harvest arrives. Yeshua (Jesus) tells His disciples, “Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).
Among all fruit-bearing trees, the fig tree is uniquely prophetic–because it is one of the few that produces two harvests in a single growing season. First comes the early crop in spring, known in Scripture as the “first ripe fig” (Isaiah 28:4), and then a second, more abundant harvest in late summer or early fall. This uncommon pattern is a living picture of prophecy woven into the fabric of creation.
Yeshua (Jesus) didn’t merely offer a suggestion–He issued a command: “Learn the parable.” In Greek, the word manthano (μανθάνω) implies disciplined learning, not casual observation. In Hebraic thought, to “learn” a parable means to press into its hidden meaning until it transforms how you live. The fig tree is not just a poetic image–it’s a prophetic mandate. And Yeshua expected His disciples, including us, to understand it deeply.
Yeshua (Jesus) used the fig tree—a familiar symbol in Israel’s botanical and prophetic world—as a teaching tool to awaken spiritual discernment. The fig tree, known for losing all its leaves in winter and budding again in spring, became a natural signpost to mark the changing seasons. In the same way, Jesus gave His disciples prophetic markers to discern a coming shift: wars, famines, false messiahs, persecution, lawlessness, and the global preaching of the gospel (Matthew 24:4–14).
On July 4th, America remembers a bold declaration — a break from tyranny, a longing for a better government, and the birth of a nation built on liberty. The Founders risked everything to establish a new way of life, one where freedom could flourish. Their cry was clear: “We will no longer be ruled by kings who oppress–we will be governed by laws that reflect liberty and justice.”
In a world full of uncertainty, this verse from Romans stands like a lighthouse in the storm: “The God of hope…” Not just the God who gives hope, but the very source of it. When everything around us seems shaken — economies falter, nations rage, relationships strain — it is the God of hope who remains unshaken and unchanging.