Psalm 50 - What Does it Really Take to Please God?

Ever wonder what God really wants? Many of us run around trying to please other people in our lives...sometimes to no avail, but do we really focus on pleasing God?

I have heard some people talk about God having everything and we having nothing to give God...and it is true that there is nothing God needs from us, but there are things God wants.


 ⁷ “O my people, listen as I speak.
      Here are my charges against you, O Israel:
      I am God, your God!
 ⁸ I have no complaint about your sacrifices
      or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.
 ⁹ But I do not need the bulls from your barns
      or the goats from your pens.

 ¹⁴ Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
      and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
 ¹⁵ Then call on me when you are in trouble,
      and I will rescue you,
      and you will give me glory.

This psalm gives us an idea of one of those...but first it starts by pointing out what is unnecessary. I actually have to chuckle when i think about the number of times God tells the people of Israel that animal sacrifice is not where it is at. God wants something deeper. I chuckle for two reasons. One because it became latched onto by the people and two because they have such difficulty moving away from it.

When you consider the early sacrifices that were made...acceptable was about is the person giving their best or is the person willing to give up what they most value to God. Instead of these concepts, people latched onto the tangible act of sacrifice.

Now I don't want to be critical, because as a people pleaser myself, I am always wanting to know just how to please someone. I like to have the list of things I can do or buy for the person that will make them happy. But the truth is that while those things might make someone happy for a season, each of us really wants love, devotion and commitment. We just want to very clear and direct...and easy road.

Have you ever had a relationship where the person could be pleased without giving of yourself? No? Me neither. And if it doesn't work with other people, why would we think it would work with God.

So how can we adjust our thinking and our patterns to make giving of ourselves the norm as opposed to trying to use things to please others? (Just a note, giving of self can result in a physical gift or a gift of service but it is the motivation and thought behind it that I am referring to as giving of yourself)

Real love can never be purchased with anything but the heart. It is received in the sharing of your own heart. Consider today how you might share yourself with God and those around you who are important to you!