PRAYER PROMPT ••• I love it when I read the Bible and a verse jumps out at me.
This morning was such a morning.
Psalm 50:14-15 says, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
At the time this Psalm was written, people atoned their sins through animal sacrifices so “a sacrifice of thankfulness” wasn’t their path to restoration with God.
I’m no theologian, but I think these verses beautifully foreshadow the Age of Grace in which we live now!
I love the phrase, “a sacrifice of thanksgiving.”
Is being thankful really a sacrifice?
No, being thankful is a feeling of joy and humility.
It’s accepting a gift that was undeserved and being overwhelmed by gratitude and happiness that such a gift was offered!
Sound like the gift of salvation?!
Can you imagine if we spent our day living “a sacrifice of thanksgiving” for our salvation and all we have??
I’m blown away by that phrase.
But the passage continues with “perform your vows to the Most High.”
I just had a conversation with my friend about honoring the commitments we felt called to do… I.e., tithing, service to the church, volunteering, whatever the Holy Spirit’s put on our heart to honor God – do it.
And the last part – “call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
I’m getting ready to write my column for Forsyth Family magazine and my topic is going to be verse mapping.
I may use this one as an example because of this very line.
Try reading it like this with your name in it: “call upon me, DENISE, in the day of trouble (CAST YOUR CARES ON ME; MY YOKE IS LIGHT); I will deliver you, DENISE, and DENISE, you shall glorify me.”
Age of Grace, indeed.
Today, as you pray, thank God for His grace.
Renew your “sacrifice of thanksgiving” by praising Jesus for HIS sacrifice for you.
And ask the Holy Spirit to help you honor your commitments to Christ; and to remind your heart often that He is there to help you…
Then praise Him and glory Him some more.
