Psalm 50:8-9 “I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly bring to my altar. But I want no more…”
Psalm 50:14 “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.”
In this chapter, God is speaking through Asaph (one of David’s chief musicians) to His people. He tells them that He has seen all of their sacrifices. Sacrifices took effort to make - they involved slaughtering the animal properly, following strict guidelines, and burning the sacrifice the right way. It was no simple task. The Israelites, God’s people, were very diligent about making sacrifices to cover sin, to offer things to God, etc. Though that was part of the covenant God made with them, God told His beloved people in verse 14 that He wanted their true THANKS as their sacrifice. That they needed to keep their vows to God. In other words, God desired for His people to stop the DOING and come back to the HEART of the matter. [1 Samuel 16:7].
Isn’t this appropriate for NOW. Today? We are in a forced slow down. We literally cannot DO all that we desire to do (whether or not those things were for God in the first place). In this time, I’ve been regularly reminded to come back to the HEART of it all = my relationship with Christ. To be THANKFUL in this time. Not just for the physical and tangible things I have, though those are much appreciated and valued, but for who He has been to me. He has been constant in this ever changing world and honestly in my ever changing mind. There have been great days and there have been hard days trying to process all that is going on (pandemic, quarantine, work, etc.)
What we MUST remember are the vows Christ made with us. The covenant He fulfilled on the cross by dying for us and still upholds today because He is never changing. Now more than ever I am reminded of how we, as Christians, must make the most of this life and truly live out the gospel to share His love with the world. Let us get our hearts right with Him, giving Him true and pure thanks for all that He is.
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