Psalms 51: 7“O my people, listen as I speak. Here are my charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God! 8I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. 9But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. 10For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. 11I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. 12If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it. 13Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats?

14Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. 15Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

 

16But God says to the wicked: “Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant? 17For you refuse my discipline and treat my words like trash.

 

how often do we live by the rituals of God and think that is what He wants from us... I wonder if that wasn't part of why He ended the continual sacrificing and gave Jesus as the sacrifice...

 

do we really show our thankfulness?

do we pretend? do we treat His word like trash?

 

18When you see thieves, you approve of them, and you spend your time with adulterers. 19Your mouth is filled with wickedness, and your tongue is full of lies. 20You sit around and slander your brother—your own mother’s son. 21While you did all this, I remained silent, and you thought I didn’t care. But now I will rebuke you, listing all my charges against you. 22Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you. 23But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”

 

how many times have we thought we have gotten away with something because God did not do anything about it... I wonder how often the world falls apart and we are wondering what in the world happened? and it is from something like slander and adultery and lies... and we thought we got away with it....

 

and the answer to all of it is repentance and thanks! giving thanks is really what God is looking for from us.. yet how often do we thank Him for our job.. or our car.. or our house.. or our kids... or our friends.. or our church... or our mobility...

 

we tend to give thanks when something is new and then forget all about being thankful... even in relationships we do this... I intend to be changing that in my own life.. I am starting today to be a thankful person.. at ALL times...