What do You Have to Offer?

Remembering my time as a "K-4" teacher, often brings with it memories of such elementary poems and jingles that paint a picture of the innocent, impressionable minds that once were entrusted to me.   There was one poem in particular that we used to quote around Christmastime.   I'm sure you're familiar with it.

"What can I give Him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb,

If I were a wise man

I would do my part.

Yet what can I give Him?

Give my heart."

(by Christina Rossetti)

It is true---He wants us to give Him our hearts.  But, for a moment, let's take that a step further.  I believe that this "opinion of our hearts,"  if left at this level, is hazardous to our view of the Lord and His majesty, His awesomeness, and our NOTHINGNESS.  Therefore our WORSHIP of Him and the work we do for Him is truly lacking. 

The Bible says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)   If we view our God in heaven, as Someone Who could remotely accept anything FROM US, apart from Himself, we have lessened Him, and subsequently brought Him to a level beneath the Almighty.   Prior to having His life breathed into us, there is nothing in us worth ANYTHING to Him.  

We must first come to the realization that we are NOTHING; we HAVE NOTHING; and we DESERVE NOTHING (but His wrath.)    It is when we first bring Him our NOTHINGNESS, and just plainly say, "here I am---a 'nothing-but-a-sinner,' who has nothing to offer You:  Not one act of kindness; not one act of 'worship;' not one word spoken in love; N O T H I N G do I have to bring---but a heart that is deceitful, sinful, totally lost, and in desperate need of You to b r e a t h e  upon the face of my heart and move me into existence.  For without You, I am NOT.  NADA.  NOTHING."  

When we humbly place our NOTHINGNESS at His feet, it is then that He begins to move, to breathe new life into our desperately wicked hearts, opens up the "blinds" and sheds forth His SON-shine!  It is THEN that He transforms a NOTHING into a SOMETHING...and that SOMETHING will now have only ONE THING to OFFER---True Heart Worship, as a bird sings to His Creator at the break of dawn.  And when that heart begins to S I N G, the WORLD WILL STOP AND TAKE NOTICE of what it has to offer!  A glimpse of its Creator!

Oh Father, I have nothing to offer You.  Nothing but a ball of dirty sin, chaos, confusion, and disbelief.  What could You possibly want with such a mess as the likes of me?   Even more astounding---what more could You possibly want to DO with the likes of me?  You want to take my NOTHINGNESS and replace it with Your "EVERYTHING-NESS."   Open up the "blinds" in my heart, shake out the dust covers, remove the old furniture, replace it with Your throne.  Do some housecleaning, and then S H I N E  forth from my heart.  May others see that I have NOTHING to offer You....and that You have, in Your mercy and grace, accepted my 'offer of nothing,' and replaced it with Your offer of grace, mercy and faith--You've replaced my nothingness with Y O U!  May they now see what I have to offer is nothing in me, but EVERYTHING in Y O U ! !  May they too experience this wonderful transition from NOTHINGNESS to EVERYTHING-NESS.  

In Jesus' Name I pray, and for His glory I ask this...Amen.