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Psalm 54:6 Freely Sacrifice

I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good. Psalm 54:6

All over the world people are willing to sacrifice many different things in order to get what they want. Most of the sacrifices that people do are not for religious reasons but to gain something believed to be of great value. Sacrifices of time, energy, food, family and much more are common as people chase after some big goal in life. Sometimes the sacrifice is for the better, while other times it is for things that are not worth what is being sacrificed.

David told God that he would freely sacrifice to Him and praise His name because it is good to do.

During the time of David, sacrifices were required by God as a part of the letter of the Law of God. Since it was a part of the Law, it is now common in the church for people to not want to sacrifice things at all, because sacrificing is often seen as a form of legalism. People feel as if they have to sacrifice and so they don’t because they do not want to appear to be legalistic.

God no longer requires sacrifice in the same way as He did in the Old Testament and it is not required for salvation. Sacrifice is now a choice for the believer. One must be willing to sacrifice from one’s heart, not out of obligation by some law or ruling.

Instead of sacrificing animals as David did, believers today are to sacrifice time, energy, effort, things, personal desires and more in order to be and do what God has called one to be and do. One chooses to sacrifice these things out of love for what Jesus had done in removing sins and giving life. One freely chooses to sacrifice and praise God.

God has forgiven you of all sins and provided salvation for free with only the requirement that you believe in Jesus and what He has done for you. Jesus sacrificed His life for you so that you could live. Since God has given you so much, be willing to freely sacrifice all for Him. Give Him your entire life and sacrifice what gets in the way of His will for your life. Freely sacrifice out of love for what Jesus has done for you, not out of legal obligation.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will sacrifice all in your life out of love for God to use; that you will give God praise for all that He has done for you; and that you will know what Jesus has sacrificed for you.

Picture by Chad Stembridge on Unsplash

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Psalm 48:9 Thinking Of God’s Lovingkindness

We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness, in the midst of Your temple. Psalm 48:9

Most people can think of one person is seems to be exceptionally kind or loving to everyone they meet. That person goes out of the way to be nice to others and help them out, showering love upon everyone met. A person like this stands out, because very few people are filled with very much love and kindness for most other people outside of family at best. Bitterness, selfishness, anger, rage, jealousy, impatience and violence are things most commonly seen in people, rather than love and kindness.

The writer of this psalm tells God that they were thinking of Him and His lovingkindness while in the midst of His temple.

As a whole the world is most often focused upon self, what is in it for self, rather than looking out for the other person. Even when the world helps someone out, it is often for the purpose of looking good, not really out of love and care.

Since the world has such a view, the majority of the world also does not see nor understand God’s love or kindness. All they see is a harsh dictator who demands certain things.

Believers who have taken a moment to really get to know God, recognize His amazing lovingkindness. First, they recognize His great love in not destroying one immediately because of sin. Then they see His great kindness in offering forgiveness and removal of sins at His expense.

As one begins to see these things about God, and many other great examples of His love and kindness, that is what captures their thoughts. The believer is also the temple of God, so one is in the midst of His temple as one has these great thoughts of God’s love and kindness.

Looking back over your life and where God has brought you from and is bringing you to, you may be able to see His love and kindness all over your life. Realize how great His love is in being willing to love you and forgive you, even while you hated Him and were a sinner. His great kindness drew you to Him and caused you to repent of your sins. Allow those thoughts of His love and kindness to fill your every thought of every moment. Be amazed at what He has done.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know God’s love in your life; that you will know God’s kindness extended towards you; that you will keep in mind all that God has done for you; and that you will share God’s lovingkindness with others.

Picture by Elisabeth Wales on Unsplash

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Psalm 45:7 What Do You Love?

You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions. Psalm 45:7

People love many different things for many different reasons. Along with the love of things, people will also love certain ways on how to do certain things. One may learn how to grill a hamburger a certain way and that is the only way to do it, while others hate that way and do it differently. Although cooking a certain way is neither good nor bad, there are many things that are truly right and wrong.

The writer of this psalm writes about the king and says that he loves righteousness and hates wickedness, so God has anointed him with gladness.

Righteousness is the process of doing what is right each and every time. Most people agree with that they want to do what is right, however, most cannot agree on what is considered what is right and what is wrong or wicked. The world often sees wicked actions as acceptable, as long as it does not immediately physically harm someone.

God, being the Creator and Ruler of all, has set down some commands as to how people are to live their lives. There is the right way of living and the wrong way to live. One is a way of righteousness and the other is a way of wickedness. All wickedness is sin against God.

Believers will often try to blur these distinct lines and love the wicked ways of the world. Those who are truly living for God will love to do what is right and hate or flee all wickedness or sin. They do not ever want to do what is wrong in the eyes of God. As they live this way, God fills them with an overwhelming joy of life, because they are living by His righteous ways.

There are probably many different things that you love and things that you hate. As you look at these things you must ask yourself what are the things you love the most. Are these the wicked things of the world that lead to sin and death? Or are they the righteous things of God that lead to eternal life?

Love and follow the righteous ways of God and hate and flee all wickedness against God. Allow the righteous ways of God to fill you with the oil of gladness.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will love the righteous ways of God; that God will give you strength and direction to live by His righteous ways; that you will hate all wickedness and sin against God; and that you will live your whole life by God’s ways.

Picture by Ivan Lapyrin on Unsplash