DAY 123 - STEALS AND DEALS
ZACH ATWOOD, YA EVENTS & OPERATIONS TEAM LEAD
I don’t know about you, but I love me a good deal. I get a weird rush it when you get to the checkout counter and you got coupons on coupons and you walk away with a 90% savings. Maybe this stemmed from my weird childhood like me where my best deals were done at the lunch table in elementary school. No matter where this passion came from, I love good deals, advantageous trades, and government auctions (yes, I’m into the repo auctions now… quarantine changes a man....)
Unfortunately, too many times I treat God like He’s the cashier at Khols. I’ll come with #KholsCash, a local ad for a price match, and I’ll expect God to spit out a return for what I’ve brought Him. It’s the simple exchange of goods and services. But that’s not how God works; and crazy enough, He’s better and more gracious than my KholsCash.
“I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving.
This will please the Lord more than an ox,
more than a bull with its horns and hooves.” Psalm 69:30-31
Reading this really convicts me. I come to Him with what I think He wants; maybe it’s a new habit I should pick up that adds to my striving, maybe it’s me giving something up in exchange for His approval, no matter what it is, I bring a sacrifice in an attempt to gain access to Him and to all that He is.
But that’s not how He works… His love is illogical (but that’s a good thing for us!)
The hardest thing for us to comprehend is that, although He honors our genuine sacrifices, what He loves more than our attempts at gaining favor is simply bring with Him and praising His name. He cares so much more about our ability to reflect on all that He’s done for us and thank Him than any sacrifice or trade we can bring Him!
Maybe you find yourself in this cycle; you bring sacrifice after sacrifice to God in an attempt to ‘win Him over,’ but it feels like you’re disconnected from Him. You try what worked last time you ‘felt Him’ but there’s nothing there. Maybe it’s because you need to go back to the basics; praise and thanksgiving! Now that’s a good deal!