Sacrifices that please God… and those that don’t.
I noticed something the other day. I was reading in Psalm 50 about how God is sovereign over all things. All humanity, all the earth, everything. And that might be an uncomfortable thought, depending on your view of God. For me, it was a thought that I used to push away because of the way I was choosing to live. That was simply to please myself, make myself happy my own way, and don’t think about God. But I think you know I have had a paradigm shift and see everything so differently now! God IS sovereign over everything, that is true: but at the same time, He loves me more than I ever realized and longs to have a relationship with me. So now, when I read the Bible, I see it through the lens of His love for me. In Psalm 50, He talks about the difference between his faithful people and those who are wicked: about sacrifices that please Him and those that don’t. There was a time when I had no interest in this either, but now, it’s different. I want to know God and to know what He thinks. This is an incredible gift that we have been given, and I don’t want to miss it.
Here’s what He says about sacrifices: ‘I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. For all the animals of the forest are mine and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you for all the world is mine and everything in it. Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats? Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you and you will give me glory.’(PS50:8-15).
Here’s what I noticed that God is pleased by in our lives:
-giving thanks. This is a sacrifice that pleases and honors God. Think about that a second. When I was walking in a rebellious pattern of sin against God, do you want to know what else was going on in my heart? Ingratitude. Not only was I not remembering to thank God for all my blessings, but I was also the exact opposite: ungrateful. Critical of everyone and everything. When I had gotten so miserable because of the choices I was making, and I prayed and asked God to open my eyes: well, He did! He showed me how good it is to be alive; how much I have to be thankful for and how kind it was for Him to show me that. When they quote: ‘it’s his kindness that leads us to repentance’ (Romans 2:4) well, I can personally agree with that. That’s exactly how it was for me. So, when I started to thank God for things in my life, I noticed that I had only scratched the surface of things to be thankful for, and that the by-product of thankfulness was joy. I want more of that!
So, I was mulling this over and turned the page to Psalm 51, and I noticed another sacrifice that pleases God: ‘The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. (PS 51:17)
-a broken spirit. This is talking about when we sin. If we sin, and we hold on to our sin, God will seem distant to us. But when we repent of the thing that we are doing that we know dishonors him, He comes close to us. He heals and restores us. He removes our sin as far from us as the east is from the west. It no longer defines us! Some people have sinned in bigger ways than others (me, for example) but ALL of us have sinned to where we need to turn to God for our forgiveness. Don’t let this lie from the enemy fool you: ‘I’m not that bad’. That’s the thought that kept the Pharisees trapped. Other people were sinners, but not them. They didn’t realize their lack of humility was keeping them from finding freedom and eternal life. Or the lie that there’s safety in numbers: ‘everyone’s doing it so it must be ok with God.’ We are told in the Bible that God is coming to judge the world for its immorality and violence and abandonment of Him. He hasn’t done that yet, but one day He will: why don’t you take today and turn from the thing you are doing that you know dishonors Him? He will welcome you home and fill you with joy. You will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner!
-a sacrifice of praise. This is more in a direct response to being rescued by God. Has God ever answered a very specific prayer of yours? If so, have you told anyone? He did that for me: He healed our marriage when it didn’t seem possible. And now, looking back, I realized that all the things that happened in my life, the good, the bad, all of it- they were to bring me to a place where I might perhaps ‘reach out and find God, although He is not far from each one of us, for in Him we live and move and have our being.’ (from Acts 17:27,28). And that is true for me,my husband, my children, and it’s true for you too. All the things in your life point to God, and He promises to let us find Him if we look for Him. And when you find Him, don’t forget to praise Him for it! You will want to- you will find it comes naturally.
Well, what about the sacrifices that don’t please him?
‘But God says to the wicked: ‘Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant? For you refuse my discipline and treat my words like trash. When you see thieves you approve of them, and you spend your time with adulterers. Your mouth is full of wickedness, and your tongue is full of lies. You sit around and slander your brother- your own mother’s son.’ (Ps 50:16-20).
-reciting decrees and pretending to obey them. When we know what God says to do and refuse to do it, His words feel heavy and oppressive. We try to block out truth, but this is an exhausting way to live. You find yourself keeping secrets, avoiding people. If you find yourself here, like I did once, I encourage you to ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’ His ways are good, and all His paths are peace. If you decide to give up the thing that is keeping you from Him, you will find Him. And your desires will change. That thing that once seemed so hard to give up will become like gravel in your mouth. You won’t want anything to do with it because it keeps you separated from Jesus!
-defective sacrifices offered in the wrong spirit. For them, it would have been animal sacrifices. It was supposed to be the best of what they had but some would cheat and offer a defective animal because it cost them less. For us, it would be cheating God of tithes and offerings: but He promises to be generous with us when we are generous with Him. ‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do, says the Lord of heavens armies, 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! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Then all nations will call you blessed for your land will be such a delight, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’ (Malachi 3:10-12). Ask God where He wants you to give, and then do it. And watch what happens! But remember to get rid of sin that you are holding on to as it’s a mistake to think you can give to God when your heart is far from Him. He doesn’t need our sacrifices, but we are the ones who benefit from them when our hearts are His. It’s counter intuitive.
And one last thought: if we do the things that please Him, then we can call on Him when we are in trouble, and He will rescue us and we will give Him glory! God is good, He is for us, and He wants to do this for us. And now I’m forever thankful for the day He came and ‘woke me up’!
