pramsay posted on February 15, 2007 04:20 1270 views
Blue Ribbon Bulls For The Lord

If you could make God happy or please Him today would you try? Sometimes we think we’re pleasing God when really – we aren’t. He sees through it all.

A husband devotes his life to his work and spends his spare time golfing with his buddies. Calls for business on his cell phone are more important to him than cries for attention from his wife. But once a year she receives a bouquet of roses and a beautiful anniversary card from him. It is one of those kissy, lovey, touchy, feely cards dripping with affectionate words. She opens it up, reads it, tries to smile and then places it beside the roses. What is she thinking?

In Psalm 50 Asaph wrote about hypocritical expressions of devotion to the Lord. God is presented as the Judge. He speaks very directly to His people. He doesn’t condemn them for failing to bring their lambs and blue-ribbon bulls to the altar for sacrifices. Instead He condemns them for only doing that.

They were super careful to always bring their animal sacrifices. But God says to them: “If all I wanted was the fat, meat and blood of animals and birds – I could get that myself. I own the cattle on a thousand hills. The birds of the mountains are mine and all the beasts of the field belong to me. If you think you’re making Me happy with all your animal sacrifices – you’re not!”

Then God tells His people that He is only looking for three things from them. The three things that pleased Him back then, are the three things that still please Him today:

1. Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and
2. Perform your vows to the Most High, and
3. Call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

(Psalm 50:14-15)

It seems to me that God says to us:

“You can wave your arms in the air singing worship songs for hours on end; you can attend your Sunday morning services dutifully throughout the year; you can shower your praises on Me in public when everyone is looking; you can cut the biggest check for the missionary effort; you can look good and talk a good line when important Christians visit your town – in fact you can shower upon them all the trappings of generous hospitality. But all of those things can be as thin as veneer. As shallow as a puddle. All the right activities can be mere window dressing – a cover for what I really mean to you.”

Here’s what God really wants from us:

1) An Appreciative heart that is full of love. Throughout the day, do I breathe out simple ‘thank yous to the Lord? “Thanks for giving Your Son for the likes of me.” Or “I love You Lord. Thank you Lord Jesus for dying for me.” Or “Thanks Lord for Your continued interest and care for me.” Or “Thanks for being so good to me.” “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30

2) Commitments Honored. Remember telling the Lord: “I love You so much and I am so thankful You ever saved me, I will do anything for You. Show me Your will for my life and I will do it. Lead me and I will follow.” Remember when that was the attitude of your heart? God is monitoring my life each day to see if those vows of love, devotion and service are being obeyed, honored and lived out in my life.

3) Continued Dependence on the Lord. When we call upon the Lord for help, He is thrilled to hear our voice and delighted to respond. God loves to hear us praying. As someone else said: “He cherishes an intimate, tender relationship between His people and Himself.”

How have I been scoring in these three categories over the past six months?

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