Do you play “Let’s make a deal” with God?

“I will bring burnt offerings to your house; I will offer you what I promised.  I will give you what I said I would when I was in trouble.” Psalm 66:13-14

At first when I read this it sounded so positive…and it is positive.  But as I continued to read it again I realized something.  The Psalmist bringing an  offering to God.  That sounds good.  Then the Psalmist says he is bringing the offering he promised to God…again, that sounds really good.  However, then the writer says, “I will give you what I said I would when I was in trouble…”  HuH?  What is that about? I suspect we all can identify with the Psalmist.  Well, all of us who have experienced trouble, anyway.  When bad things come our way, especially if they are bad things of our own making, we have a tendency to play “Let’s make a deal” with God.  God if you get me out of this… or God if you will only do this, I promise to never do that, or promise to change… I’ve been there and done that!

In the Burt Reynolds movie “The End”, there is a great scene where Burt is about to drown.  As he is looking at the shore he begins to promise God that if God lets him live he will give God 10% of everything he makes.  As he grows more tired his offering increases.  When the shore is almost in reach but he doesn’t think he will make it, he is up to 90%!  “God I will give you 90%.  I really mean it this time”, he says.  As he crawls up on the beach he loudly proclaims his thanks to God for saving him by proclaiming, “Just like I said God, I will give you 10% of everything I make!”

Sounds a little like our Psalmist, doesn’t it.  Only the Psalmist is keeping his promise…we hope.

The problem is the when I, Mr. Reynolds or the Psalmist play “Let’s make a deal” with God we do so from a false place.  God can take my life anytime.  God already owns me and all the resources.  As a follower of Jesus, everything I have or will ever have is God’s.  I have nothing to bargain with.  I have nothing to offer God that God can’t just take anytime He wants.  What I am trying to say is that there is nothing I offer to God when I am in trouble that I shouldn’t be offering to Him every day.  My life, my money, my family, my house, my car, anything I am or will ever be has already been bought and paid for by God by Jesus’ death and resurrection.   Praise God!

I should be offering up to God everything every day!  I will be trying to do a better job of that, starting this moment.  I hope you will, too.