Never Stop Being a Kid

“Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” (Ps 50:14-15 AV)

This statement comes on the heal of mentioning all the offerings of worship Israel would make.  They were required to do so by law.  This we know.  But sometimes, religious duty can minimize true worship.  It is one thing to perform some rite, quite another to have a deep relationship with the LORD.  What the LORD is stating here is that what He desires from His people more than religious duty is a heart that will depend upon Him and be thankful for what He does for them.  He desires a people that will keep their promises.  He desires faithfulness over form.

There is a process in raising your children that is hard of which to get accustomed.  The process of which I speak is the process by which your young children grow up and depend less and less on the influence of their parent.  I remember the times I taught my children how to tie their own shoes.  The days they learned how to ride without training wheels.  The day they got their driver’s license.  And, the day they got married.  Particularly when they learned to do something hands-on, inevitably they would say, “Dad, I can do it myself.”  A proud moment, but also a sad moment.  Knowing we are needed is one of the fundamental emotions of a person.  The need to be needed.  God is no different.  His desire is to do what only He can do.  His desire is to be God.

We take the reins of our life and think that we can handle it all by ourselves.  To some extent, that is true.  But God desires to do so much more for us that we are incapable of doing ourselves.  He also desires the feed-back of gratitude.  Everyone likes to hear they have made a difference.  It is not an ego thing.  It is a purpose thing.  Knowing that we have served a purpose gives us reason for our existence.  God, who is eternal, created a being to which He might show Himself for who and what He is.  He is God.  A God of mercy and of grace.  This is the God who He desires to be.  But that can only happen if we depend upon Him and thank Him for it.