SACRIFICE OF PRAISE

SACRIFICE OF PRAISE

Whenever a sacrifice is offered, before such offerings can be received, it must have been a worthy offering.

Usually a characteristic of an acceptable sacrifice is that it is “DEAD”, dead in the sense that it has lost all sense of life of it’s own, if it exists at all anymore, this new existence is based on dependence.

Having read Paul’s letter to the Romans chapter 12 verse 1, which says we should present our bodies a “living sacrifice” unto GOD which is our reasonable sacrifice, one may be quick to ask, “but all sacrifices are expected to be dead or at least burnt up, how then would we be living sacrifices?”.

What we need to understand from the original text is that the root word there for sacrifice means a “victim” – one who totally depends.

Man is insufficient on his own and entirely needs GOD for sustenance, so to survive is to be victims unto GOD.

This state isn’t like the pitiable state of the human–human captor–victim situation, but this is our GOD who without any doubt loves us entirely and has the best of plans towards us making it a win-win situation.

To be a living sacrifice unto our GOD would mean that in our day– to– day lives, we live to honour our GOD living reverently acknowledging that we can’t do stuff on our own but we have to rely (Prov. 3:5) and infact thirst after Him to get sustenance (Psalm. 42:1)

Rendering a sacrifice of praise unto our GOD equates to living our lives daily in worship and adoration to GOD. This really is the best form of sacrificial praise one could offer.

If you spend 2 hours singing and worshipping GOD and you then spend the remaining 22 hours of the day engaging in activities that dishonour GOD, this really isn’t acceptable worship but we need to rather live every second of our lives in reverence of GOD’s mercy upon our lives and our utter dependence on Him makes an acceptable sacrifice of praise.

Hebrews 13:15 emphasizes this by asking us to offer a sacrifice of praise to GOD continually by the fruit of our lips giving thanks unto His name.

So friends, let our lips not find itself outside of giving thanks to GOD’s name.

Make sure you possess a lifestyle of worship that in every activity, you remain a worshipper, whether in your place of work or business, school, market place or wherever we find ourselves, let our thoughts, words and actions give praise to GOD (1Peter. 2:5; 4:1)

Phil. 4:8 also instructs that we should think on whatever is praiseworthy. Praiseworthy in the sense that it gives GOD quality praise. So if it won’t give GOD praise, don’t even think of doing it, let alone doing it.

In conclusion friends, to offer a sacrifice of praise requires that we live a life of worship, dependence and reverence to GOD, honouring His name at every instance we find ourselves.

Remember, GOD inhabits the praises of His people. (Psalm. 22:3, 2Kings 3:15)

GOD BLESS YOU