From the shadows of faith to the reality

Posted byJim SimoneauPosted inUncategorized

Day 171: Psalms 50:7-13

            Psalm 50:7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! 8I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices Or your burnt offerings, Which are continually before Me. 9I will not take a bull from your house, Nor goats out of your folds. 10For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 12“If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. 13Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats?”

            Lord, You never intended for us to focus on the rituals themselves. It was always the faith behind the sacrifices, trusting You to provide a sacrifice. Isaiah 1:11 says, “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. Isaiah 1:16-20 continues, “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,17Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. 18Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 19If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; 20But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword;” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

            Lord, throughout the Scripture You make clear that the sacrifices, while important, were only a shadow of a deeper reality. You were seeking faith and obedience from the heart. You called us to be children of Abraham. But, O Lord, our hearts are so hard. Our heads are so thick. Help us, O Lord. Soften our hearts. Put hearts of flesh in us where hearts of stone have been. Let us be quick to hear and to obey You. Help us hear Your voice and love You and follow You in Spirit and in truth because of Jesus’ sinless life, sacrificial, atoning death, and through His resurrection power working in and through your children.

            Amen!

Published by Jim Simoneau

Jesus Christ brought me to Himself at a very early age. I began seeking the Lord and writing prayer journals in my early teens and have continued to grow in my knowledge and experience of prayer. I am still learning and growing in my prayer life and long to help others grow in their prayer lives as well. I am not an expert, but a practitioner who needs God to continue to teach me to pray. Prayer is both simple, yet also profound. It is deep and draws us into the depth of God, but it is also so easy and wondrous that we can cry out to God with "Abba, Father" prayers because of the work of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. Prayer comes from God's heart, works in our hearts, and teaches us to go back to seek God's heart!

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