Friday, May 8

Psalm 66:13-15 

I will come to your temple with burnt offerings 
    and fulfill my vows to you— 
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke 
    when I was in trouble. 
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you 
    and an offering of rams; 
    I will offer bulls and goats. 

Devotional 

Speaking for myself, if you wanted to bring some burnt offerings—burgers and brats—to church, I wouldn’t mind! 

But to understand this Psalm, we need to hear it in its original context. At the time it was written, the Temple was the center of worship and the place where people went to atone for their sins. That meant participating in the sacrificial system—the long list of offerings we see referenced in this passage. 

On this side of the resurrection, everything has changed. Our relationship with God is now shaped by a new covenant. Instead of each of us offering animals to address our sin, Jesus offered himself on our behalf so that our lives could be lived freely—gratefully—in response to his grace. 

Still, it can be tempting to slip back into an old mindset. We may try to earn God’s favor or assume that the most “religious” person in the room is somehow closer to God. It feels productive, and it gives us something to control. And honestly, that can feel good. 

But that isn’t the gift we celebrate in baptism. God hasn’t given us a ladder to climb. He has given us his Son—who frees us. 

So the next time you come to worship or prayer, come in freedom, to experience freedom. 

What “burnt offerings” do you need to set aside today so that you can rest more fully in God’s grace? 

– Pr. Jason 

Let us pray: Jesus, thank you for being the lamb who takes away the sin of the world so that i can live my life in freedom. Amen.