Welcome to Day 1 of our 8-day series: Thankfulness is…
Each day of this series we will focus on a verse or passage that helps us understand what gratitude is and why it is important.
Today’s passage is Psalm 50:7-15. Pause to read these verses, and consider your thoughts before reading the devotional below.
Animal sacrifices aren’t something we do today, but in the Old Testament God laid out his instructions for the priests to sacrifice animals as an atonement for sin. Today’s passage reveals more about the fact that God views these sacrifices as mere symbols, and he actually wants something much more valuable.
God doesn’t want your money. Or your animal sacrifices. Or your impressive empty words. He wants your thankful heart. Don’t just sin and then try to make it up to God. That’s like a bad relationship where someone keeps doing the same harm over and over and continually tries to make it all okay. Sin is not okay, and no amount of animal sacrifice (or nice but empty words) is going to change that. God owns everything in the world. He doesn’t need more animals. He does not delight in death. Thankfulness is our genuine sacrifice to God. What will you bring to God today?