Good morning, friend and fellow sojourner!
On this forty-sixth morning of my 50 days of waiting for Pentecost Sunday (June 8), I am ever more grateful for the presence of the Holy Spirit in those whom the Father has drawn to Himself. Having guided me thus far through Psalm 51, I am further thankful that He continues to reveal more and more nuggets of wisdom to me in the final stretch of this season of waiting.
Would you pray with me as I approach the holy Word?
Your Word, O Christ, is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Thank You, O precious Bread, for being the Source of all life, strength, comfort, sustenance, and guidance. As I gaze into this last verse of David's penitential psalm, may it please You to reveal Yourself to my mind, heart, and body from this day forward. I pray all of this in Your precious and holy name, Jesus. Amen!
"Then You will delight
in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then
bulls will be offered on Your altar."
Ps 51:19, NIV
The final verse of David's hymn of confession invites you and me to be jubilant. It directs our hearts to rejoice as we learn that God does delight in the sacrifices of those deemed righteous in His eyes through the redeeming work of Christ's blood. It guides us to exult as we grasp that the Father gladly accepts complete offerings from those who give cheerfully and generously. It fills us with joy to know that there can be an abundance of rich offerings on the Lord’s altar.
This joy is reminiscent of that experienced by the whole Israelite assembly when, under no compulsion, “the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly . . . toward the work on the temple of God” (1 Chron 29:6-7, NIV).
The hilarious generosity mentioned above came after the entire Israelite community witnessed King David’s offering—“with all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God . . . in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple” (1 Chron 29:2-3, NIV). Upon seeing such exuberant giving, “the people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord” (1 Chron 29:9, NIV).
As far as the heart is concerned, David's generosity displayed in the 1 Chronicles passage and his heartfelt confession or plea for mercy in Psalm 51 are identical:
public
sacrificial
disinterested
yet
personal
responsible
wholehearted
Both acts are laden with vulnerability and honesty.
They both bring great joy to God and to onlookers because they came from the heart.
What a gracious Lord we have!
To think that something as personal as giving can be used to bring delight to the heart of God and utmost joy to the hearts of those living beside us is mind-boggling. Like David, this verse prompts us to confess our sins fully, not sparing details and motives and consequences. It invites us to share our innermost struggles with others because the Father aims to use such offerings for the building of His temple, His people, His Kingdom.
May we graciously, willingly, joyfully, and sacrificially offer all of ourselves to God as a pleasing and acceptable act of worship!
No comments:
Post a Comment