A Gift God Doesn't Already Own

My Chronological Bible Study has finally brought me to my favorite Psalm of all time. Psalm 50. It's the "cattle on a thousand hills" psalm and, every time I read it, I find something new. 

Here's a brief Leanna Paraphrase to get us to the main point. God is speaking against Israel. He's not arguing with them about the sacrifices they have given. He's saying, "Sacrifice something that I don't have. All those cows and goats are mine already. I'm just letting them live in your pastures."

Everything in this world belongs to God. What He desires from us is not what belongs to Him already. He wants something only we can give. A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving. 

The word translated as "thanksgiving" is towdah and means more than sacrifice, more than saying thank you. The word includes "confession, praise, and thanksgiving". When we offer an acceptable sacrifice of thanksgiving, we confess our sin, praise our God, and thank Him for His great generosity to us.
The same word is used to describe "hymns of praise". 

When young king Hezekiah cleansed the temple, he required the priests to consecrate themselves to the Lord. It was only after their consecration that they were to begin offering sacrifices. (2 Chronicles 29:31) Hezekiah was right. An offering of thanks begins with an acknowledgement of our sin and our need for cleansing. 

Today, let's give God something He doesn't have. Followers with deeply grateful hearts. Begin with confession. Praise Him for Who He is. Thank Him for His generosity toward us. 

Today would be a good day to sing hymns of praise to God. Carry a tune in your heart all day long and share it with the Lord. 

Give God something He doesn't already own.

"Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,

And pay your vows to the Most High;

And call upon Me in the day of trouble;

I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me."

Psalm 50:15 nasb

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In case you missed them, here are a couple of other blog posts on the topic of the sacrifice of thanksgiving:
The Turning Point: A Grateful Heart  
(http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-turning-point-grateful-heart.html)
Being One of the Richest People in the World 
(http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2015/07/being-one-of-richest-people-in-world.html)

Here's yesterday's link: The Way God Met My Need  
(http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-way-god-met-my-need.html)
#sacrificeofthanksgiving #praiseHim #disciple #TuesdayMotivation