Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise
—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
Hebrews 13:15
Since, as Christians, we love Jesus, it should come naturally to want to offer praise to God.
It just resonates deep within our being, this absolute, unabandoned gratefulness!
Jesus lives on the inside, and gratitude resounds on the outside. It’s just that simple. Our countenances as Christians should shine with unadulterated adoration of our great and mighty God!
And aren’t you thankful along with me that Jesus by His Holy Spirit fills us up and lives in us? We are not nearly worthy of having the triune God of the universe living in us, His temple, His house, but He does! Some days I can hardly wrap my mind around this, but that is exactly when the Word of God steers me to His promises!
I’ve recently come across a book that is a book of prayers of praise to end the day. How wonderful! It is easy to begin the day in praise and worship, but a little tougher after the commotion of our busy day to close it out in the right way.
Along with this, God directed us to “continually” praise God. How do we do that when our lives are busy, busy, busy? I believe that praise of God, through Jesus, goes with us. It lives in us, and therefore it naturally lives itself out in our sacrifices of love and in our actions. Sure, we should actively praise God as much as we can continually as much as we can.
The sacrifice of praise might cost us something, and it might not be timely.
Our praise of God is the response of our mouths towards God and others. Our thoughts and actions need to line up vertically towards heaven. And we live our real fruit out in how we speak to others around us. Do we give grace? Are we gracious? Are we rude, mean tempered with others? All of this reflects our hearts and our true character.
Alexander Maclaren, a Baptist Minister (1826-May 1910) says it like this…
“Loving hearts must speak. What would you think of a husband who never felt any impulse to tell his wife that she was dear to him; or a mother who never found it needful to unpack her heart of its tenderness, even in perhaps the inarticulate croonings over the little child that she pressed to her heart? It seems to me that a dumb Christian, a man who is thankful for Christ’s sacrifice and never feels the need to say so, is as great an anomaly as either of these I have described.” (Maclaren)
That statement speaks for itself. It covers what men and mothers must do, but that would hold up equally for wives and dads. His point is we must not just think words of praise to God and others, we must live them out and express them and let that begin with us. You and me.
In conclusion, for this fine October day, I just wanted to share the importance of that last segment of Hebrews 13:15.
The Bible, God’s Word, instructs us to openly profess the name of Jesus, our God and King. In 2023 and beyond, this will become harder and harder for Christians, but we must. It might cost us everything, but so we are instructed to do.
All of know we are on the brink of disaster in our world situation. Yet we will profess the name of Jesus and confidently do so.
His name is worthy.
We are to take part in His sufferings and proclaim His name in boldness and faith.
May the joy of the LORD Jesus be your and my strength in the days to come.