Ps 50:14-15
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, 15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” ESV
- Giving to God is an act of thanks. It recognizes God as your source.
- The second half of the sentence is built on the first. So if you do the first and give recognition to God as your source, and then call out for help in your day of trouble He said He would be your source for help too, and that you could then give Him glory.
Ps 50:10
$ 10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. ESV
- All is the Lord’s. We give not because he is in need but as an act of love, honor and thanks.
Gen 39:3
3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. NKJV
- Ps 128:2; God’s blessing didn’t come in the form of hand outs. Everything that he did was blessed. God blessed his work. Are you giving God something to bless? Do you work with all you have? If God’s blessing comes after you exert all your strength would you ever see God’s blessing? Are you working with all your might as unto the Lord or waiting for God to do everything for you? Col 3:23;
Matt 13:44-46
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. NKJV
- These two parables communicate the same thought. The kingdom is not something you do half way. When someone wants to be apart of the kingdom it costs them everything. In both stories the guy gives up everything he has for something he views as more valuable. Have you given up everything to follow Jesus? Has he become your hearts number one desire? Matt 6:24 says that you cannot have two masters. God help me to set you first above everything else. I want to honor you with all my heart. I want to honor you with everything I do.
