The Offering of Praise

"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. ³¹ This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull, which has horns and hooves. ³² The humble shall see this and be glad; and you who seek God, your hearts shall live."

Psalm 69:30-32

In the Law of Moses God made provisions for people who did not possess great wealth to offer sacrifices acceptable to the LORD.  After the period of 40 days passed after Mary gave birth to Jesus, Joseph and Mary went to the temple in Jerusalem and brought two turtle doves or pigeons for Mary's atonement and cleansing (Luke 2:22-24).  Leviticus 12:8 says these birds were acceptable if a lamb was too costly to afford.  God did not heap guilt upon those who could not afford a lamb, nor was it a gauge of spirituality and priorities.  By faith in Him through obedience God was well pleased.

If Joseph and Mary could not afford a lamb, it is evident an ox would be out of the question.  There were people who never had the money to have an ox of their own and thus never had the means to offer one as a sacrifice to the LORD.  David realised God did not value the sacrifices of people due to the monetary value of the offering, but received gladly the praises and thankful adoration of His people.  Giving a more expensive gift did not make a person more acceptable before God.  Instead of feeling guilty he could not afford to offer a lamb or an ox, the humble soul could rejoice in the acceptance of his praise and person by the holy, gracious God of Israel.

Luke 21:1-4 provides insight into God's economy as Jesus watched people in the Temple:  "And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, ² and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. ³ So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; ⁴ for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."  Isn't this amazing?  The woman put very little monetary value into the treasury, yet was credited with giving more than anyone else.  She had little yet she gave, and she did so from a heart that relied upon God.  It is likely the rich men who put in much were honoured and revered by men for their sacrifice, yet God singled out the woman as giving the greatest gift.

It may be people would not be willing to part with a penny to hear you sing a song, but God is pleased when we praise and thank Him with our voices.  You need not be a Grammy winning artist or to have dulcet tones of a professionally trained singer to sing songs worthy to present a song before the KING OF KINGS.  God looks upon our hearts redeemed and saved by His grace, and accepts those who seek Him gladly.  Give thanks to the LORD, you His people, for He is pleased to be sought by you today.

Ascribe Strength to God

"Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, and His strength is in the clouds. ³⁵ O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!"

Psalm 68:34-35

Many of our cares, worries, anxieties and fears arise out of neglect to ascribe strength, excellence and power to God.  We believe in God's omnipotence and ability to save and deliver often in a hypothetical sense because our being overwhelmed betrays us.  David bid God's people to actually credit Him for how awesome God truly is and all He has done and does as our Creator and Saviour who loves us.

If I ascribe fullness to my tank of petrol (and this agrees with reality), I can drive carefree to the coast and back home without concern for needing fuel.  Many have made the mistake of ascribing more petrol to their tank than they actually had and ended up stranded by their false confidence when they ran out.  When we pull out a debit card to make a purchase in a shop, we consider what card we ascribe sufficient funds to cover the cost.  If we are confident the card used has been loaded with money to spare we do not dread being declined and having to cancel the transaction and start over.

A person with a full tank of petrol and a broken fuel gauge may be nervous driving longer distances because they are afraid of running out.  Believers chosen and accepted by God can be like a driver who frets and worries over running out of petrol when God has all strength and power when we do not ascribe strength to Him.  The reality is God has strength that is not dependent on our faith because it is of grace, and God is faithful and merciful to give strength and power to His people.  David's heart swelled in praise to the almighty God to Whom he ascribed strength, even when God at times seemed distant as the clouds above.

The most awesome places in the world are nothing compared to the awesomeness of our God to Whom we are wise to ascribe strength.  Like God hangs the earth upon nothing, He puts clouds in the sky that carry moisture where He causes rain to fall in due season for the refreshment and benefit of the earth, man and beast.  Should we ascribe strength and power to people or ourselves we will ultimately break down in disappointment with dashed expectations, but those who ascribe strength to the LORD bless His holy name with joyful gratitude.  Are you ascribing strength and power to God today Who is generous to supply all our needs?

Rejoice and be Glad Today

"Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Jesus Christ

The beginning of a new year is a fitting opportunity to take stock of our priorities, to consider our perspective and look to the LORD more than the future that awaits us.  Looking at articles and posts on social media, it seems people are happy to write off one year as bad with the hope of a good year ahead.  Jesus could have said, "Sufficient for the year is its own trouble," yet He focused on the day God made.  This is a helpful and healthy perspective we can keep in mind for as long as we live on this planet.

Judith Viorst wrote a children's book years ago illustrated by Ray Cruz with this catchy title:  "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."  Alexander and I share a thing in common, that we both decided to move to Australia.  In the story Alexander knew he was going to have a "bad" day because things did not go like he wanted.  The only solace the rascal had at the end of the book was he fell asleep knowing everyone has bad days.  It would be very pleasant if the bad feelings and troubles of yesterday disappeared the following day, but this is not the case.  Painful trials can continue until our outlook of an entire year is sullied from them.

The psalmist wrote in Psalm 118:24, "This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."  This passage has been written into a song we used to sing at church.  A day isn't good or bad because of what happens during it but it is a day we can rejoice and be glad because God has made it.  A day may be filled with trouble, yet we should not allow the troubles of today to cloud our great God and the future He has prepared for us.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:31-34, "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

If you think Psalm 118:24 was written in the context of everything going well marked with prosperity, ease, blooming flowers and refreshment, think again.  Whilst it is true God has made every day we can rejoice and be glad in, the "day" referred to prophetically was the hour when Jesus Christ would be crucified on Calvary to atone for lost sinners.  The day Jesus went to the cross, from a human standpoint--which does not account for God, His grace and goodness--was a very bad day indeed.  But Jesus for the joy that was before Him endured the cross so those who trust Him could rejoice in Him every day on earth and beyond time measured in hours, months, days and years.  Because God has made today, we who know and trust God will rejoice and be glad in the day as much as we appreciate our eternal salvation.

We can say, "I will rejoice and be glad in it" and grit our teeth to try to rejoice, but the flesh cannot accomplish what God does through faith in Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  I have seen people suffer greatly and miraculously become a comfort to others by the comfort they have received of the LORD.  Some endure terrible pains day after day, year after year by rejoicing in the LORD who is the strength of their life.  The weight of a bad year is too heavy for anyone to carry, for "Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  We will have troubles and at times be troubled, yet with eyes of faith we seek the LORD and rejoice in the day He has made.  Let us be rejoice and be glad in the day He has given us today.

Seek the LORD Early

"O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. ² So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory."

Psalm 63:1-2

Growing up in the church, the sanctuary was the place in the building where there were chairs, pews and a pulpit.  It was the place where the church body gathered together to sing worship songs, hear sermons and pray.  The sanctuary was a place consecrated similarly to the tabernacle a temple, a place where God dwelt.  The ironic thing is in my youth I was not aiming to look for God's power and glory.  The sanctuary was viewed as God's house, a place where we showed respect for God by refraining from running, shouting and removed our hats.  David's longing and desire to seek the presence of God early is refreshing in comparison to the legalism of consecrated spaces.

From my own experience I can say people who enter a church are not always looking for the presence of God, to see His power and His glory.  If attendees hope to see a thick cloud enveloping the preacher or angelic messengers flitting about singing forth the praises of God, they likely will be disappointed.  Pious Jews today seek the presence of God at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, yet the power and glory of God is not found in a geographic location or consecrated hall:  God's glory is seen in the sanctified people redeemed by the blood of Jesus and filled with the Spirit of God.  It is not in the ornate statues or gilded pillars carved by skillful artisans but through the lives of Christians by grace through faith His power and glory is revealed.

This does not mean we look inside ourselves to find the power and glory of God:  we continually look to Jesus Christ, risen and glorified, the source of Living Water that springs up into eternal life.  David was parched for the presence of God like weary pilgrims who had traveled through an arid region and needed water for survival.  David's soul thirsted for God and thus he went where God dwelt, in the sanctuary, the place where God dwelt.  Paul revealed under the New Covenant of the Gospel Christians are the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, holy because His presence makes us so.  We are blessed to draw near to God by faith in Jesus Christ wherever we may be, and His power is made perfect in our weakness.  His presence abides in us His workmanship, and by faith and obedience we abide in Him.

How good and fitting an exhortation today are the words written in 1 Chronicles 16:7-11:  "On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the LORD: ⁸ Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! ⁹ Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works! ¹⁰ Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! ¹¹ Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore!"  Let us seek the LORD early in our lives, early in the morning and evermore!  Seeking the LORD and proclaiming His glory go hand in hand, exponentially multiplying our reliance on Him as we rejoice in our awesome God.