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 1999-2025 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
More Devotions
Nature provides us with an illustration that closely parallels the insidious tactics employed by our adversary. According to scientists, Arctic polar bears feed almost entirely on seals. To enjoy such a meal, they sometimes resort to a cunning bit of trickery.
Whew! What must the disciples have felt back then as they saw the waves crashing against their boat? They we’re being swayed from side to side in the deep dark sea. They were afraid for their lives! But our Lord was there all along. He just wanted them to trust.
One of my heroes of the faith, Watchman Nee, once said something profound about entering the rest of God. He said, “Carnal Christians crave works; yet amid many labors, they are unable to maintain calm in their spirit. They cannot fulfill God’s orders quietly as can the spiritual believers… their hearts are governed by outward matters. Being “distracted with much serving” (Luke 10:40) is the characteristic of the work of any soulish believer. They have not yet entered the rest of God.”
Studying some remarkable events in the history of World War 2, we find the deliverance of the allied armies at Dunkirk; a true story of Divine providence in modern history. It was on May 10, 1940, that Hitler unleashed his armies against France and Belgium. Within days, the British army found itself outmaneuvered and unprepared for the German blitzkrieg assault led by General Rommel and his 7th Panzer division.
Thousands are gathering in Washington D.C. today to pray for the inauguration of the new president of the United States. I know a number of people who will be there and I think it’s a good thing, but this reminds me of a story I heard once.
We arrived at the airport late Thursday night with our bags and our kiddos only to find out that our flight was canceled because of a freak accident — a tractor ran into the plane, of all things! So we repacked our ourselves tightly into a small rental car to make the two hour drive to get back home to Arad in the middle of the night. Our flight was postponed till Sunday.
There was a man who had four sons, and he wanted them to understand the importance of not rushing to judgment. So, he sent each one on a journey to view a pear tree that was far away. He sent the first son in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in the summer, and the youngest in the fall. After they all returned, he gathered them together to hear what they had seen.