I have been studying the Psalms in the past few weeks and today I was reading Psalm 50 when I felt to share these words with you.
Psalm 50: 7-14 (NLT)
7 “O my people, listen as I speak.
Here are my charges against you, O Israel:
I am God, your God!
8 I have no complaint about your sacrifices
or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.
9 But I do not need the bulls from your barns
or the goats from your pens.
10 For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird on the mountains,
and all the animals of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for all the world is mine and everything in it.
13 I don’t need the bulls you sacrifice;
I don’t need the blood of goats.
14 What I want instead is your true thanks to God;
I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High…
23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”
We often focus on pleasing God by giving Him things such as money. In the past, when there was no money, people sacrificed animals and gave items made of gold, silver, and bronze. Today, we give money. The Bible tells us that we must give God the first fruits of our increase. Malachi 3:10 clearly tells us to “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!”
But even though tithing is a command from God, and we should do it to honor Him, He’s truly after our hearts—our thankful hearts. So, why does God say that “giving thanks is a sacrifice”? You would think giving thanks is just a gesture and it’s easy to say the words “Thank you” to God. But it’s not. The reason is that a person with a true thankful heart recognizes that without God we are nothing and have nothing. A thankful heart acknowledges our dependence on God and God alone. A thankful heart surrenders ALL to God and is willing to give it ALL to God because He owns it all anyway. That’s why it’s hard to have a true thankful heart and that’s why God calls it a sacrifice.
So, in this New Year, purpose to not only give of your treasure to the church and to other ministries that are bringing the Gospel of Good News to the world, but also purpose to give God thanks—each day, each moment, and for every thing and every person He’s blessed you with in this life. Try it! And you shall be blessed beyond your imagination.
Happy New Year!