Sacrifices are part of life, you can not walk with someone without sacrificing for that relationship. As believers, sacrifices are one way we walk with God. The bible admonishes us to seek first the kingdom( Mathew 6:33) and also carry our cross and follow Jesus(Mathew 16:24), all these require a heart of sacrifice. God is pleased when we( his children) sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom but sometimes our sacrifices become unpleasant.
In Jeremiah 6:20b, God was not pleased with the sacrifices of his people and so he rejected them. He rejected them because their sactifices came from a disobedient heart.
WHAT MAKES IT UNPLEASANT?
The one thing that makes our sacrifices unpleasant to God is a disobedient heart. A disobedient heart is one who does not listen to(obey) the commands of God. In this era of grace, many believers have rejected the commands of God.
God would prefer that in the midst of all our sacrifices, we first obey Him. God wants you to obey his commands because obedience( listening) to God’s word is the only proof that you love him.
The sacrifice that pleases God is that which comes from an obedient heart; a heart that listens and accept God’s commands. Your money, gifts and hardwork does not please God if you do not put obedience to God’s commands first( Jeremiah 16:20b).
This is His commnad: Love your neighbour as yourself(Galatians 5:14), then all your sacrifices will be pleasant unto God.
In 1 Samuel 5, we learn how saul disobeyed God and how God rejected Saul because of that. His sacrifices was unpleasant to God because it was from a place of disobedience.
The story of Martha and Mary illustrates the importance of obedience; Martha was doing the right thing by making preparations for Jesus to be comfortable but Mary’s choice to listen to his words was the best choice and the Lord commended it. The lesson here is; no matter how busy you are for God, if you do not listen to obey Him, you can’t please Him.
You may be acting like Martha, working so hard for the kingdom of God. It’s very good but do you listen in obedience?
For God, to obey is better than sacrifice ( 1 Samuel 15:22b).