Gratitude - Better Than Sacrifice
"But as for me, afflicted and in pain – may your salvation, God, protect me. I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves. The poor will see and be glad – you who seek God, may your hearts live! The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people."1
When David wrote Psalm 69, his life was not right. He was in great distress because he was being pursued by implacable adversaries. His song before the Lord included both a lament for his plight and a call for divine justice against his enemies. But as David continued to pour out his heart to God, the tone of his prayer began to change. Before the Psalm ended, his words expressed gratitude.
David was sure that God saw and heard him, and he recognized that thankfulness for such things is of great value to the Lord. In fact, verses 30 and 31 say that thanksgiving is even better than material sacrifice in the eyes of the Lord.
It can be hard to imagine that God could be more pleased with the offerings of our hearts than with the gifts that flow from our finances. But David's words remind us that God's economy is not like ours. The true value of the tangible things we offer Him, whether material goods, time, or talent, matters only as outward expressions of what is in our hearts. In fact, gratitude is why we offer other gifts to our heavenly Father. Let us be always aware of who God is and all He has done for us, and may this influence the gratitude that flows from our hearts in every circumstance.
Suggested Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, today I just want to thank you. Thank you for your love, for your forgiveness, for salvation, for your mercy, for your grace. Today I choose to live in gratitude, and live with a grateful heart for all the blessings you give me. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.
1. Psalm 69:29-33.
Today's Encounter was written by: Rosina N.
All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.