PSALMS 50:14-15: “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” NLT

OBSERVATION: Am I on the pathway of thankfulness? Is my heart filled with worship and praise for all God has done in my life? As I look over the pathway of my life, am I celebrating the hand of God’s mercy and grace? When I go to the house of worship, is it to bring the sacrifice of praise?

Let’s be honest. Thankfulness is not something that comes naturally. We are born into this world focused on our needs. As we go through life, it is easy to become filled with worry and anxiety as we look toward our future. Our prayers become more about what we need than about giving glory to the One who meets our needs.

Worship in today’s church has become a “me” centered event. It is all about what I get out of the sermon, whether I feel blessed by the music, whether someone is praying for my needs, and whether I am recognized for my service. The focus of our worship is not giving thanks to God; it is bringing our laundry list of needs to Him!

The Jews made their sacrifices the center of their worship. It was all about what they were bringing to God, what they were doing for God. Throughout the history of the Jewish people, we find them offering sacrifices while grumbling about their lives. They expected God’s favor and blessing based on their sacrifices while ignoring the condition of their heart. God made it very clear. He did not need their sacrifices.

Psalms 50:8-10: “I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.” NLT

God does not need what we do for Him. God desires us to honor who He is and to be thankful. When we approach the altar with the sacrifice of thankfulness, our hearts are focused on Jesus and all that He has done for us. When we look to the cross, we realize that there is nothing more that He needs to do. His work is complete, and everything we will ever need is found in Him!

Romans 8:31-32: “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” NLT

The cross is the source of my thankfulness. If the Father did not spare His only begotten Son, but gave Him up for our sins, then will He not also freely give us all things? The cross is where I meet Jesus for salvation. It is where the Holy Spirit works sanctification, making me more like Jesus. And it is where I will embrace my full redemption when I am clothed with a glorified body and enter into the fullness of eternal life!

This thankfulness causes me to look up to heaven. It lifts me from the mundanity of everyday life. It enables me to,

“…keep the vows you (I have) made to the Most High.” Psalms 50:14 NLT

The blessing of living a life of thankfulness flowing from the cross of Jesus Christ is the promise of God’s faithfulness in answered prayer.

“Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” Psalms 50:15 NLT

Thankfulness keeps me on the pathway of Spirit-empowered obedience. Spirit-empowered obedience leads me to the fountain of God’s grace and mercy. God’s grace and mercy usher me into the fullness of Jesus Christ and the power of His cross!

Paul experienced the power of the cross as He gave thanks to God. As we look upon the cross of Jesus Christ, our focus is on Him and all that He has done for us. What can we do as we gaze upon His cross, remember His great sacrifice, look upon the empty tomb, and remember His promises?

We can offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, giving our lives as living sacrifices through Spirit-empowered obedience to His will! Paul’s exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 is a wonderful way to pray and commit our lives to this call to thankfulness.

In Jesus’ Name!