Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honor me; to those who go the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
NL Daily Devotion for Thursday, July 8, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Once again, God has a lot to say about what God really wants. And, once again, it’s not sacrifices. God doesn’t need to eat what is offered on the altars of Israel. Everything is already God’s.
What does God want? Gratitude in action. Thanksgiving in the form of actually loving and serving God and neighbor, as God commands. This psalm calls out all kinds of the wrong things to do, and the hypocrisy of following the letter of religious observance without actually internalizing God’s loving law.
This can so easily happen to me. I find great comfort in community worship, in singing and praying, in sharing communion. But are my day to day actions in keeping with God’s call? Do all my decisions come from a place of love and service? I’m not perfect, and I don’t think God expects me to be. But it’s worth it every once in a while to examine honestly where I’m falling short.
How do I offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving?
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