In my last blog, Do You See What I See, I mentioned that one of the 7th grade girls gave me a word from God that included the scripture Psalm 50:23. It took me a few days to understand how this scripture related to me, but after studying the entire chapter this is the conclusion that I made.
There is nothing that God needs from me. He is MY dad, my parent, my provider … not the other way around. He has taken care of Himself long before I was born. He has many other children who He’s cared for and been a good dad to. What do I have to give him that he doesn’t already own?
“This is God, your God, speaking to you. I don’t find fault with your acts of worship, the frequent burnt sacrifices you offer. But why should I want your blue-ribbon bull, or more and more goats from your herds? Every creature in the forest is mine, the wild animals on all the mountains. I know every mountain bird by name; the scampering field mice are my friends. If I get hungry, do you think I’d tell you? All creation and its bounty are mine.” Psalm 50:8-12
If this is true, then why have I tried to offer vain sacrifices to God. Why do I keep asking God, “Lord, what do you want from me? What can I do or give you to gain more of your presence, more of your blessings in my life?” Why have I approached Him with a performance mindset as if I must work for His love, affection, appreciation, and acknowledgement?
I know it’s because this was my approach in the world. How many of us have been told that in order to get ‘this‘ we have to do ‘that‘? This is how I lived, this is what I believed, and this was my approach when relating to the Father. I saw Him as someone who would punish my wrong and reward my right, so I better do right!
Now, I’m sure that God doesn’t mind my sacrifices and my labor for His kingdom. I’m sure he even appreciates it, but none of that changes the status of our relationship. It won’t cause His heart to love me any more than he already does. Romans 8:15 says I’ve been adopted as His own child and I now have the privilege of calling Him “Abba, Father”! He is MY father, and I am His beloved child.
So then, what do I do?
“Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory” Psalm 50:14-15
What God? Am I reading this right? All you want is my thanks! All you want is for me to make good on my promise to love you and serve you! The awesome thing about this passage is that God has just declared/identified Himself as judge of Israel, but at the very end He shows mercy to the wicked. He lists all of the things that they’ve done wrong and proclaims that He will rebuke them. (Many of us can identify with doing lots of wrong and deserving the Lord’s rebuke and judgment? However, God gives them a chance to repent!! And once again, He doesn’t ask for their money or material sacrifice or to work really hard for His forgiveness.
“But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God” – Psalm 50:23
It’s so beautiful that God considers thanksgiving as a sacrifice that He honors. Of all the things that we try to do and give Him, he desires a grateful heart. That’s easy!! Sometimes we overlook how powerful a simple Thank You can be. I can stop trying to be something special for Jesus. He already sees me as special. I am who He created me to be, and for that I offer Him a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
By the grace of God, I am what I am – 1 Corinthians 15:10
