1 Chronicles 21: 18Then the angel of the Lord told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19So David went up to do what the Lord had commanded him through Gad. 20Araunah, who was busy threshing wheat at the time, turned and saw the angel there. His four sons, who were with him, ran away and hid.21When Araunah saw David approaching, he left his threshing floor and bowed before David with his face to the ground. 22David said to Araunah, “Let me buy this threshing floor from you at its full price. Then I will build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.” 23“Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, and the threshing boards for wood to build a fire on the altar, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you.” 24But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!” 25So David gave Araunah 600 pieces of gold in payment for the threshing floor. 26David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the Lord answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar.

God told David where to go to offer the sacrifice... makes you wonder.. if we are to sacrifice something for God... possibly.. He would be telling us whatever it is... rather than the things we choose of our own mind.. I know for myself.. I want to choose a sacrifice I know I can complete.. I don't want to tell God I will do something I am unsure I can do.. while still making sure it is a struggle too... 

David didn't try to give God something that didn't cost him anything.. how often do we try to give God what is easy for us? I am guilty of this sometimes...

God consumed the sacrifice... I wonder if God accepts/consumes our sacrifices.. I would say if we have been obedient to Him that He does.. I guess the evidence of that is in whether or not our fasting time has been fruitful... I pray God will honor the fast that I lift up to Him... sometimes I feel He has.. there are other times that I don't feel I have been so faithful and I don't feel I have done anything more than just starve myself... I read something a few days ago that said "a fast without prayer is just starvation"... 

we are all called to fast regularly.. just like reading the bible.. amazing how we find time or purpose for everything under the sun.. yet God's disciplines are sometimes pushed to the wayside... 

Father help me be more faithful to You than I am to myself...