"Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." (Hebrews 13:15)
"A sacrifice of praise..." what does that conjure up in your mind? Sacrifice recalls the Old Testament follower of God bringing something of value and laying it down on the alter in worship. If an animal was brought, it was always the best of the flock, unblemished. The gift was costly. What does it mean to bring "a sacrifice of praise to God... the fruit of the lips that give thanks to His name?"
At no other time in life than during a season of suffering is praise to God a beautiful, costly act of worship. In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and entered a village where 10 leprous men cried out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" Jesus, who is the compassionate Master, told them to go present themselves to the priest, and as they went, the scripture tells us, they were cleansed.
One of them, a Samaritan, when he realized he was healed, turned back to Christ and with a loud voice glorified God, fell at the feet of Jesus in an act of worship, and gave thanks. What a dramatic depiction of Hebrews 13:15, "the fruit of the lips that give thanks to His name."
I'm sure for that leprous man it was sacrificial. Being a Samaritan and now aligning himself with this Jewish rabbi from Nazareth, much was at stake. He was separated from his loved ones for who knows how long due to his illness, but now healed could he return to family and friends and be received with open arms? Would they receive him now that he pledged allegiance to a Jewish Messiah? On the other hand, would he be accepted by the Jews who were following Christ or be viewed by them as an outcast because of his questionable roots?
I want to emulate that leprous man, to have my first response to God's mercy and answers to my prayers be overflowing thankfulness. But what if we ponder sacrificial praise at a deeper level... what about before the answers come?... what about "the fruit of the lips that give thanks to His name" in the midst of suffering? Would that not be the ultimate sacrifice, a more costly act of worship?
The picture of the flower (above) was taken last summer in the gardens of our dear friends in Montana. Their gardens are always full of beautiful flowers that beg for the attention of my camera lens, but this flowering cactus drew me in. We visited our friends during a time of intense suffering. Our son, who had been chronically ill for quite some time was at the height of his painful, debilitating symptoms. We had no indication then that his suffering would end any time soon. Being our family in Christ and knowing our situation, our friends welcomed us with open arms and prayed that our time in Montana and the beauty of God's creation might refresh and renew us all.
There in the midst of the panoply of blooms was this cactus. Surrounded by sharp and piercing thorns, was the unfolding of exquisite beauty. A flower in the midst of thorns might seem like an oxymoron, but I believe God gave me a stunning representation of sacrificial praise. The contrast ~ praise in the midst of pain ~ is dramatic.
What thorns are piercing your soul right now? What pain, what suffering overwhelms you? May I encourage you, before the answers to your prayers come, to enter into a sacred act of worshipping the Master, the One who Himself knows the pain of piercing thorns?
In our human frailty and in the midst of distress, we may feel unable to do this; however, Hebrews 13:15 tells us how to do what feels impossible. "Through Him, then, let us offer up..." through the One who was pierced through for our trangressions... through the One who can sympathize with our weakness... we can do all things through Him who strengthens us. Ask Him to strengthen you and enable you to praise!
Hebrews also tells us when to enter into this act of worship... "continually..." Let praise be the common denominator of your day. Before your feet hit the floor in the morning, let your lips bear fruit in thanksgiving; before your eyes shut at night, extol His marvelous name. Speak out your sacrifice of praise. The Samaritan who was healed spoke out in a loud voice glorifying God.
My soul is amazingly strengthened when I hear my own voice audibly praising God. Yes, He hears our silent prayers, but perhaps there is a reason why the book of Hebrews specifically mentions the "fruit of the lips" rather than the 'fruit of the heart' or 'the fruit of the mind.' Think about those in your life who will be blessed to hear and see the fruit of your sacrificial praise ~ children, husband, friends. Maybe others will join your chorus, but whether they do or no, we know that "...with such sacrifices God is pleased."
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