Aiming For Acceptability

To what purpose does frankincense from Sheba come to me, and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.” Jeremiah 6:20

The idea that God may not want what I offer is challenging.  I assume that what we give to God will be acceptable.  Psalm 19:14 says 'May these words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.'  If I want my praise to be acceptable to God, then I my whole life needs to be my worship of him.  The tasks that I don't want to do, I need to do with a gracious and willing heart. The temptation to respond to what I regard to as inconsiderate behaviour, must not be to respond with equal or superior inconsiderate behaviour, but instead to seek to bring peace to that situation - and still keep sane.  That's the clue, I can't do this in my own strength, and if I try, I WILL fail, because I am human.  So if I want God to accept my offerings, I must be willing to allow his Holy Spirit to change me, but not too fast Lord, for I am a weak and frail being...