Have you given your all?

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!

Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.

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During the feast of Tabernacles in Yeshua’s (Jesus’) day, the temple priests would set up four great lampstands with golden lampholders, which they would light with the aid of enormous ladders in the Temple courtyard. The lighting of these lamps began the celebration of the “Great Hosannah” (Hoshannah Rabbah, in Hebrew).

Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) started last week, and it’s customary to say to everyone this week — Chag Sameach, which literally means joyous festival! As we mentioned, the feast of Sukkot commemorates the time in which God led the Israelites through the wilderness for 40 years, providing them with every need on a daily basis — shelter, food, water and clothing. You may know that a during Sukkot, a portion of Ecclesiastes is read in the synagogues. Interestingly enough, it speaks of the vanity of materialism.

Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) will begin Wednesday night throughout the world. The feast of Sukkot commemorates the time in which God led the Israelites through the wilderness for 40 years, providing them with every need on a daily basis – shelter, food, water, and clothing. Interestingly, during Sukkot, the book of Ecclesiastes is read in the synagogues– but Ecclesiastes speaks of the vanity of materialism.

One of the main lessons of Yom Kippur is understanding the significance of “rachamim”, the mercies of God. The scripture expressed that our sins are removed as far as “the east is from the west” — meaning they are completely forgiven when confessed. On the feast of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement two goats are involved in the sacrifice. The blood of the first goat was placed on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. The other, or “scapegoat” was released into the wilderness, signifying that our sins were not only covered, but also removed. In the days of the Temple, this “scapegoat” was led through the Eastern Gate toward the Mount of Olives where it would disappear from view, as it fulfilled the removal of sins from the people.

There are times in our lives that we are going through a spiritual valley and we want to get victory — we want to have answers — we want God’s power to flow through us again.

This evening will begin the Biblical feast of Yom Kippur.  Yom Kippur, which literally means Day of Coverings, can be a day of deep reflection on what the Lord has done for us. As Yeshua (Jesus) died on the cross 2000 years ago, the Gospel describes how the veil in the Temple was torn in two. This profound spiritual event reveals that the Lord gave all whose sins are covered by His blood access to the Holy of Holies, as He had become our High Priest in addition to being, Himself, the perfect sacrifice for sin.

As we celebrated Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets) and are in the midst of “Yamin Noraim” or the days of awe, the days between the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur, it is the season of repentance.

This is the season that the shofar (rams horn) is blown to heed the call of warning to repent from our sins and be clean. The shofar’s unique sounding blast is a wake-up call to all who will hear.