Sacrifice of praise

We can’t stop thanking God once we have tasted His life-transforming love. What a joy to be welcomed by God as His sons and daughters.
It’s like participating in a banquet; as we savour and relish the cuisine, our hearts rejoice for the hospitality and love showered on us free of cost by our loving host.
Are we not guests in God’s creation? No wonder the Word encourages us that “through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of our lips that openly profess his name” (Hebrews 13:15). How is it that sacrifice and praise are stated together?
In our walk with God, sacrifice and praise are not opposites. It’s true when God shows up; it’s easy to worship, sing and talk about how good God is. Then there are tough times when God does not come through the way we expected. The medical test results are not good.
The spouse wants to pack up and leave for good! The circumstances scream at us that God has forgotten us. To praise God in such times requires personal sacrifice. It is an act of the will and faith to lay all our concerns on the altar before God.
When we bring a “sacrifice of praise,” we choose to believe that, even though life is throwing challenges at us, God is still good and can be trusted
(Psalm 135:2).
When we choose to praise God despite the storms, God is honoured, and our faith grows deeper (Mal. 3:13-17). The praise that flows continually from our lips is like a fruit, which reveals the tree’s character.
While praise and worship are important, we also love and care for our neighbours. God’s abundant grace enables us to rejoice amid pain, for Jesus is alive, and we are God’s temple. How intimate is our relationship with God to continually offer a sacrifice of praise?