Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 50:7-15
Ps 50:7-15
"Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God. I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me. I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
Matt 9:11-13
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
God does not need anything that any of us has to offer to him. He existed just fine for eternity without the earth as we know it and so, without any people. Since he is Spirit and not flesh, he does not get hungry or thirsty, he has no need any of the daily necessities that we must have. He doesn’t get sick or feel bad. But, if he were hungry or thirsty, every animal, every plant and all of the water belong to him and are at his disposal. Our service to him is not because he needs it.
But God does want something from us. He wants us to respect and revere him as the only true God. He wants us to put our trust in him as God and depend on him to control our destiny. He wants us to follow his will, showing our faith in him and in his wisdom for us. He wants us to be thankful to him and praise him.
His desire is that we become like him as we become partakers of his divine nature. This requires a transformation from within, the work of his Spirit living in us. This change will give us a better life now and prepare us for eternal life in the world to come. When we take on his nature, we are filled with his love, even for those we feel do not deserve it. We have compassion instead of being critical.
O Lord God, you know what is best for me in every phase of life. Thank you for always wanting what is best for me and using the mess I make to turn out for my own good. Help me do your will in all things and in so doing to show my trust in you. Lord, there are those who are seeking their own way and the ways of this world, and in so doing, they are disturbing the peace of your people. Give the wisdom from above to your people so they will understand your will and give them strength to follow it. I humbly pray in the name of Jesus my Lord.
Robert
