More?

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.” [Psalm 50.14-15]

This is quite the promise. There is a lot going on in all of Psalm 50. It all means something. But the instruction to be thankful shines through everything else. The instruction to stay true to our vows means something too.

So, what does it all mean?

Here goes...

Thankfulness is where most people fail. We live in such an entitled society that few really understand all that God has provided (myself very much included). Instead, most of us are constantly wanting more. It seems it was said at the church I attend that 2024 would be the "year of more." The problem with this is that when we are focused on "more" there is little likelihood of us being genuinely thankful for what we have. Really. Society today has brainwashed us to think we always need more... and so, we always want more. More, more, more...

In fact, even much of our "faith teaching" has fallen right into entitlement mentality. While it is true and scriptural that we can ask for anything when we pray, believe for it and receive it, I fear we have held to this scripture promise for the wrong reason of simply wanting more for the sake of getting more because "more" is what our society is all about!

We do very much need to see the miraculous in and through our lives. However, the power of God needs to manifest in our lives for the work of His Kingdom, not for our insatiable appetite for more!

As long as we are focused on more, thankfulness will never be genuine and pure from our lives.

And then, as another condition upon the promise of Psalm 50.14-15, we must keep our vows. Perhaps some have made "vows" to God besides saying yes to faith in Christ, but for most, the vow of faith in Christ is the singular pivotal vow of a person's life. That vow ultimately affirms that we will "live Christ" on earth by His Holy Spirit dwelling in us - that we will "take up our cross" and follow Him. How are we doing at that? Do our lives in every way mirror Jesus Christ to the world in which we live? Can we say, and can those watching confirm Luke 4.18-19 in our lives as Jesus declared it upon and lived it with His own life?

Only in the conditions of thankfulness and fulfilled vows does the Psalmist declare that God will rescue us from trouble. The Psalms are not for sissies! Perhaps that could explain why Jesus quoted the Psalms more than any other Scripture.

If we want our prayers answered and we want to glorify God, then we must be thankful and we must be faithful.

Father, forgive me for an entitlement mentality that has accompanied faithlessness in my life. The milk of Your Word indeed provides for my needs, but the meat of Your Word teaches me that my needs are met in my relationship of commitment to You. It is only Your grace that saves me and it is only Your grace that changes me to be thankful and to be like Jesus.