Hebrews 13:15-16 NKJV
[15] Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. [16] But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Good Morning!
God’s will for us is to live according to His word, making Him first in our lives and not trying to forge our way through life without Him. In our fallen nature, men try to do everything on their own, relying upon themselves, their wealth, knowledge, education, talent, or intuition. But God tells us in Proverbs that this all leads to death.
As our Creator, God understands the human heart. He knows our shortcomings and does not expect us to be perfect. He remembers that we are just dust. What He does want for us is to walk with Him humbly with our hearts positioned in a sacrifice of praise toward Him.
Proverbs 16:25 NKJV
[25] There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Psalm 103:14 NKJV
[14] For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
What does it mean to give a sacrifice of praise?
Simply put, in every situation, good or bad, putting God first and having a heart of gratitude, thankfulness, and loyalty to the One who puts the very breath in our lungs. We may not always know or agree with what God is up to in our lives. Sometimes we may get a bad report. Other times, everything seems to be going our way. But in any case, we are to remain faithful and give God our praise, as He knows what is best, and we do not understand His ways.
Psalm 34:1 NKJV
[1] I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Ephesians 5:20 TLB
[20] Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Job 1:21 NKJV
[21] And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
Following the will of God with a sacrifice of praise is a daily commitment, choosing that no matter what our day faces, no matter what challenges get thrown at us, no matter if it is good or bad, we decide to follow Him with a heart of worship. We choose to follow His word, leaning on His promises and knowing that we are destined to win in the end, with an abundant welcome into the kingdom of heaven.
2 Peter 1:10-11 NKJV
[10] Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; [11] for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Many days are really hard. Some even that we don’t know how we will make it through, except by the grace of God. We have His promises to carry us and fill our hearts with bold faith and courage to keep walking towards the prize. He gives us thousands of promises throughout the scriptures that encourage and strengthen us. We may feel that we are cold and alone, but know that we have a rock and strong tower who loves us beyond measure and will lead us into the way of everlasting.
Psalm 61:1-4 NKJV
[1] Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. [2] From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. [3] For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. [4] I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
Psalm 139:23-24 NKJV
[23] Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; [24] And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
When we build our lives on the strong foundation of His word and follow in the footsteps of Jesus, He will keep us from being shaken by any of the storms of life. Choosing to be faithful, committed, and staying strong is done so by being humble before our Lord. Those who are humble and living in a daily position of a sacrifice of praise is who He lifts up and strengthens so that our cup is filled and overflowing with His presence in our lives.
Luke 6:47-49 NKJV
[47] Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: [48] He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. [49] But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
Luke 6:38 NKJV
[38] Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
James 4:10 NKJV
[10] Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Below are some additional inspirational scriptures to guide us in our daily walk and being a living sacrifice of praise.
I love you and am praying for you today!
Dad