| Psalm 51:16-17 "For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
Not too long ago, when I drove home from camp, my daughter met me at the door. She was playing "servant," which just means she was making the work she had to do a little more palatable! She had an apron on and was getting a lot of work done, but I was reminded that my wife, in most cases, could do the work more effectively and efficiently. But more important than the work Lauren was doing was the affection and the attitude she was doing it with!
Even in business, a gift is just a gift--it is lifeless. But what a difference it makes when there is love and interest for what you are doing behind the gift! When it comes to spiritual matters, God does not want yours; He wants you. You never give God anything that He didn't provide for you first! You may be hurried, but God will not be pressed by anyone or anything today.
David, the psalmist, wrote in verse 16, "For thou desirest not sacrifice . . . thou delightest not in burnt offering." Wait a minute! Weren't these people literally sacrificing animals at this time? And weren't they doing it because it was God's idea? Yes, God did desire the sacrifices and burnt offerings, but not in comparison to His desire for the person giving the sacrifice. A sacrifice is nothing short of a sham if it comes from a heart that is not devoted to God.
God does not want what you give-He wants you. He will not be impressed by what you do if He is not "impressed" by what you are. Even something that God has commanded does not please Him if it does not come from a heart of someone who loves Him. Before discipline and duty mean anything, we must have delight in God.
We live in a day when a man has an alibi to live as he wants, as long as he performs. Even in our churches, a person can please and perform for every visible master but not please the God who made him. That kind of service is shallow and downright wicked. You can only maintain that for so long. Even a week of camp at the Ranch takes discipline, but discipline means nothing if there is not devotion and delight behind it. I want to go through life driven by a God who has been better to me than I could ever repay. I want to do what I do in His power, not in some futile attempt that will eventually fizzle out.
Today there will be things you must do that demand discipline and duty because they are right. But duty and discipline mean absolutely nothing without delight in the Lord Jesus. Remember this morning that God wants you.
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