Throughout His Word, God speaks to us a lot about sacrifice. It is the central theme of your salvation. However, nobody likes sacrifices.
Psalm 50:1-15
1 The
Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks
and summons the earth
from
the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out
of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God
shines forth.
3 Our
God comes; he does not keep silence;
before
him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest.
4 He
calls to the heavens above and
to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather
to me my faithful ones, who
made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
6 The
heavens declare his righteousness, for
God himself is judge!
7 “Hear,
O my people, and I will speak;
O
Israel, I will testify against you. I am
God, your God.
8 Not
for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
your
burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I
will not accept a bull from your house or
goats from your folds.
10 For
every beast of the forest is mine, the
cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I
know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.
12 “If
I were hungry, I would not tell you, for
the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do
I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer
to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and
perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and
call upon me in the day of trouble;
I
will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.
Nobody really likes sacrifice. Sure, we may value it for a time, when it leads directly to a reward or goal. You may sacrifice to lose weight, to train and strengthen your muscles or your mind, you may save money to buy something you need or want, etc.. But nobody really likes sacrifice, and this includes sacrifices made for God, resulting from your faith in Him.
Verse five speaks of a covenant [agreement] with God by sacrifice. God calls you to sacrifice many things which feel good & are a part of your sinful, me-centered nature but they dont please, glorify or obey God. Satan constantly tempts & attacks you, corrupting God's good gifts to become sins in your life. Whether many or few, your good sacrifices & works cannot appease God, who is just & must punish all sins. God speaks to this in verses 8-13 of this psalm.
God has punished all sins, which brings us to the best & most important sacrifice. God the Father sent Jesus His Son to become your perfect, sinless sacrifice, taking your sins and their punishment upon Himself. Jesus died, in your place! This brings us to verse 14 and a sacrifice God desires from you today. Because of the forgiveness Jesus won for you, offer to God sacrifices of thanksgiving for His love, continually given to you. God speaks of these sacrifices in verses 14-15. Today and this coming week focus on giving thanks to God, making vows of thanksgiving to God, calling upon God and glorifying God. In these ways, you love God, who is your God!
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