The Day God Declared, “Don’t Give Me No Bull!”

“I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens” (Psalm 50:9).

The Verse of the Day is from Psalm 50. God literally tells the Israelites, “Don’t give me your bull!” The problem is not that Israel has ignored offering burnt offerings to God.

Then what was the problem?

God tells us what God desires, “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High” (Ps. 50:14).

• What God desires is our hearts that respond in gratitude for recognizing all that God has done for his people. The sacrifices and the offerings aren’t offered out of compulsion but out of genuine gratitude for all that God has given us.
• Secondly, what God desires is for us to fulfill our promises to God. Live out our vows. Live as if God is God. Submit. Obey. Because God is God.

The bull that God calls out is, “You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you” (Ps. 50:17).

• When we say God is God, but live as if God’s word doesn’t pertain to us.
• When we put ourselves above the authority of God’s word. We do this when we say things like, “I know what the Bible says, but I think…, but I feel…”

God flat out declares, “Don’t give me that bull!”

God is honored by “Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation” (Ps. 50:23).

Again God declares, “But the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love” (Ps. 147:11).

We say every Sunday before we receive the offering and tithes that God is not interested in your money. God wants our hearts of gratitude. You see, no matter how much we give, God doesn’t need our money. A bazillion dollars doesn’t make God any grander or more glorified. What God is honored by and gloried in is when we respond with genuine gratitude for salvation and for all that God has done for us in Jesus Christ. Our tithes and offerings are only a token representation of our gratitude. What God desires is our hearts.

During this Advent season, give your heart to God. And out of gratitude, dedicate and offer yourselves and your tithes to honor and glorify God.