PSA. 116:17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call upon the name of the LORD.
True spirituality is all about the heart. The world is filled with religious activities that really mean nothing to God. One of the most terrifying passages of scripture is found in Amos 5. It says,
“Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.
Take away from Me the noise of your songs,
For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.”
I think the Lord gets really tired of religious observances that have nothing to do with the heart. Now don’t misunderstand, the Lord loves worshippers. He even says He is looking for worshippers. The truth is He is only looking for one kind of worshipper; the authentic kind. He is looking for worshippers who worship in Spirit and in truth. That brings us to this question, ” How does one receive an authentic heart of worship?” Actually it is connected to giving thanks. When we recognize the kindness and mercy of God our hearts are filled with thanksgiving that spills over in worship and praise. This is the work of God’s grace in our souls. Here are some thoughts from Spurgeon on giving thanks to the Lord.
“Being thy servant, I am bound to sacrifice to thee, and having received spiritual blessings at thy hands I will not bring bullock or goat, but I will bring that which is more suitable, namely, the thanksgiving of my heart. My inmost soul shall adore thee in gratitude. And will call upon the name of the Lord, that is to say, I will bow before thee reverently, lift up my heart in love to thee, think upon thy character, and adore thee as thou dost reveal thyself. He is fond of this occupation, and several times in this Psalm declares that he will call upon the name of the Lord, while at the same time he rejoices that he had done so many a time before. Good feelings and actions bear repeating: the more of hearty callings upon God the better.”
So that’s it, true religion by definition is a religion of the heart. It is not so much about the outward performance but the thankful heart poured out to God. Give thanks to the Lord, offer Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving, the offering of your heart.