SCRIPTURE: Psalm 50:1-23

OBSERVATION:
Asaph describes judgment day to challenge people to think through their relationship to God.
God is the only Judge, everything in all creation will stand (or fall) before Him.
Judgment day will come for God’s people (OT Israel, the NT Church, “my consecrated ones”, v.5) and He will open their hearts.
God’s judgment will not be based on the amounts or types of sacrifices and offerings presented to the Lord (as if He needed any of them, everything belongs to Him), His judgment will be based on whether they were heart-felt expressions of gratitude (thank-offerings), not hollow words and actions.
Because they were getting away with hypocrisy (acting religious, living immorally), they assumed their religion was pleasing to God, but God will expose and judge their hypocrisy (v.21).
The point of this psalm is to make religious hypocrites reconsider before the Lord comes in judgment. It also encourages those who are sincere that their heart-felt gratitude will prepare the way for further blessing and protection (v.23).

APPLICATION:
Do I act as if one day I will have to give an account to God. Am I willing to have the Lord look through my life (thoughts, words and actions – as well as what I didn’t do). Do I realize that how I live reveals my true heart priorities – not just the words that I speak.
Believers will be judged first (1 Peter 4:17), do I consider carefully whether I am speaking, acting and living in sincere gratitude towards the Lord.
God is not looking for religious obserances from me, and that is not what He wanted from OT believers either. He has always wanted a contrite and sincere heart, one that rightly loves and fears the Lord, and treats Him with the honour He deserves.

PRAYER:
Lord, I have been raised to observe certain religious practices, yet often they are empty, devoid of meaning. Forgive me for not always meaning what I say, and help me to to live with sincerity and integrity. Amen.