Sacrifice of Praise
MARCH 1, 2024

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalm 34:1

Recommended Reading: Psalm 34:1-3
In Romans 12:1, the apostle Paul exhorted his readers to present themselves as “a living sacrifice” to God. But someone has observed that living sacrifices keep trying to crawl off the altar! At no time is that more likely to happen than during times of trouble when we are tempted to resent our circumstances.

But David, the psalmist, wrote that God’s praise “shall continually be in my mouth”—words he wrote during a time of trouble. And the writer to the Hebrews combined the ideas of sacrifice and continual praise: “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” (Hebrews 13:15). Why is praise considered a sacrifice, especially in times of trouble? First, sacrifice involves giving up something. Second, the sacrifice of praise in times of trouble means giving up fear, resentment, anger, and self-centeredness (“Why me, Lord?”). To praise God means to trust His plans and provision and protection at all times—“continually.”

If you are in a challenging season of life, purposefully choose to praise God sacrificially for what He is doing in your life.

Praise is the best of all sacrifices and the true evidence of godliness.
John Calvin