Short and sweet thought for the week…
One popular Christian song goes, “We bring the sacrifice of praise into the House of the Lord…” I’ve never really thought about offering praises to God as a sacrifice. Usually I’m praising God for His goodness, His blessings, His answered prayers, His Creation, His protection, etc. It’s a sort of joyful worship response coming from a thankful, appreciative heart.
However, in the Old Testament, sometimes acts of worship included an animal sacrifice. Unblemished animals were sacrificed to symbolize atonement of sin and reconciliation with God. Something innocent had to die in place of the sinner. Through this, people were taught that true worship involves surrender and sacrifice.
In the New Testament, we find Jesus Christ dying for our sins and becoming our ultimate sacrifice. This ultimate sacrifice gives us even more reason to praise God. Still, this does not seem very sacrificial on our part and the Bible indicates there are times when praise should include a sacrifice from us.
“Therefore let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share for with such sacrifices God is well pleased (Hebrews 13:15-16).”
Making certain sacrifices by doing good to others and sharing is definitely one way we praise God. However, I think another way we offer the sacrifice of praise is by lifting praises to God even when things did not turn out the way we wanted. Perhaps we were diagnosed with cancer, a loved one died in a car accident, we lost our job due to a company downsize, or a drug addicted child played havoc with our family life. Maybe we don’t feel like praising God during dire circumstances.
However, that’s when we truly bring the “sacrifice of praise” because it takes all we have within us to lay our will on the altar and trust God for His outcome. When we praise God in spite of situations, we offer up to Him our belief, our confidence, our hope, and our faith.
In Psalms, we are told that God does not delight in sacrificial burnt offerings, but rather He delights in a humble spirit that places faith and trust in Him no matter what comes our way (Psalm 51:16-17).
“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, though
the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield not food; Though the
may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls–Yet I will
rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation.” ~Habakkuk 3:17-18
