Grain Offering (part 1)

SCRIPTURE
" 'When someone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering is to be of fine flour. He is to pour oil on it, put incense on it and take it to Aaron's sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the fine flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. (Leviticus 2:1-2)

OBSERVATION
Let's face it. Leviticus 2 is difficult to wade through if your looking on the surface for something that's relevant to my life today. But, if you're willing to dig kind of deep into the soil, there's treasure to be discovered. The Grain Offering (the Hebrew word is 'Minchah', which means: a gift, tribute, offering) comes from a tradition of giving a gift to a king who just conquered your village/town/city/people as a way of saying: "I am now under your authority. I submit to you." This kind of offering "Minchah" (check out Judges 3:17 and while you are there...read the whole story of Ehud) was used often as way sign of submission. If you were conquered by the king, you would not want the king to give you trouble...so you submit. The Grain/Minchah offering was a symbolic way of communicating your willingness to comply.
So one of the ideas behind the Grain/Minchah Offering is you are coming to God and saying: "God, I acknowledge that You are God and I am not. You have conquered me (my heart/life) and I am now in submission to You."

APPLICATION
Unlike the cruel kings who conquered tribes, people and land through brute force, our King (Jesus) conquers through losing, self-sacrifice, love and grace. Jesus is has a Kingdom and everyone it is only as big as those who's hearts and lives are willing to submit to His will. "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven."
And this is a daily journey of submission to my King. The Grain offering communicates that I am aware that there is a King and I am not the King. How do I, today, pay tribute to my King Jesus? Romans 12:1 tells me I am to be a living sacrifice...following the example of my King. I am to worship Him. Serve Him by serving others. Love Him by loving others. Listen to Him through prayer and study of Scripture. Allow His character to produce good fruit in me.

PRAYER
God, I submit my will to Your will in my life. I want to live my life as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to You. Thank you for forgiving me for the many times I've forced my will over Your will. My way over Your way. Thank You for a fresh start today. I am wholly Yours.
In Jesus name, Amen.