"Hi Mary. Where are you going with that young heifer?"
"Oh Susan, I'm going to the pagan temple around the corner to offer this animal as a sacrifice so I can get my healing (or peace or joy or satisfaction in my family or recognition for my service etc)."
"But Mary, you know God's Word says that we are to stay clear of idol worship. We should only worship God. You know that Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice so you would have total salvation and all your needs are met in Him."
"I know, Susan, but I have tried over and over again to get God to love me with all kinds of deeds like reading my bible and praying for the unsaved to come to him. I've fasted and given money to the poor and I've taught Sunday School and played the piano at every Wednesday night service for the past 7 years but nothing- NOTHING has caused God to bless me or take away my fears or heal my body. I'm trying the pagan temple since nothing else has worked."
Psalms 16: 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
Nor take up their names on my lips.
This part of the Psalms 16 seems so much different than the rest of the 10 verses. It's different so you will pay attention and ask yourself what you have been offering to God to get him to bless you. What deeds have you been doing -religiously--in order to feel like you are measuring up to God's standards?
When you fall short of what you think God expects do you find a way to please Him? Are you bringing offering of blood--not Jesus' Blood-- to His alter? Jesus died a gruesome death and paid way above the cost for your sin and the sin of the whole world. You don't have to keep bringing offerings of your own efforts--in your own flesh --to get God to like you or love you or to bless you.
Are you trying to live out the Christian walk in your own efforts? I know I did for many, many years--decades in fact. I would religiously read my Bible but I was reading it to get points in my walk with God. If I missed reading my Bible I thought that was points against me. If I prayed for someone then I felt like God was bending his ear to me but rarely did I see answered prayer. One minute I pictured God the Father smiling at my actions and the next he would not glance toward my direction. I was offering my flesh, my own deeds, my own filthy rags rather than just thanking Him for the sacrifice already offered on my behalf.
We need to read the Word of God to get our minds renewed not to get God to like us. He loves us just the same as He loves His Son Jesus. Jesus who had no sin became sin so we who were sinful could exchange our sinfulness for His righteousness.
I'm a visual learner so try to picture this with me: It's like He is wearing a beautiful, shining, white robe and we are wearing a filthy, ragged, vomit soaked, blacken garment and just because of His GRACE we get to switch the robes and we are wearing the perfectly clean one and Jesus takes the shame. It's just that simple. I can't do ANYTHING to make myself clean. He did it ALL!
I am only righteousness because of what Christ has done. Romans 3:25
I have exchanged my filthy rags for His perfection. Philippians 3:3
I am seated with Christ in heavenly places. Ephesian 2:6
I have died, was buried and arose with Christ. Romans 6:4
When fear or pain or lack attacks me, I don't have to go and make sure I've prayed for 4 hours today or read 5 chapters in my bible. No, I just remind the enemy that the sacrifice of Jesus is what makes me righteous and I can go BOLDLY to the Throne of Grace knowing that my Father accepts me and will rise up and destroy my enemies.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
—Edward Mote (1797-1874)
