A Sacrifice of Heart

From today's reading: Psalm 50
1 The LORD, the God of gods, has spoken;*
he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak:
11 I know every bird in the sky,*
and the creatures of the fields are in my sight.
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving*
and make good your vows to the Most High.
15 Call upon me in the day of trouble;*
I will deliver you, and you shall honor me."
24 Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me;*
but to those who keep in my way will I show the salvation of God."

In this psalm, God is saying that sacrifices and burnt offerings are not necessary. He says that everything in the earth belongs to him, and implies that he has no need of food sacrificed from the earth. We no longer offer actual burnt offerings, but some people are proud of their sacrifices - remember the Pharisee boasting in the temple while the tax collector prayed humbly. Some people wear sacrifices to God like clothing - "Oh, I fast and I tithe and I do this for God, and I do that..." I'm not saying that God doesn't care about these things - they are nice - but what God is looking for is how we live our lives in relation to other people.

Sacrifices can't really make up for mistreating others or even ignoring their existence. Any sacrifice we can make is worth less than keeping the word of God and walking in his ways. What God really wants is a sacrifice of heart. So today be sure to share the joy of Christ and of Christmas with someone who needs a little sunshine in their life.