Hebrews 13:15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

It was a Friday, early in the morning when the Lord reminded me of a phrase in the Word. Even as I rehearsed it out loud, having my walk about, it seemed to be as if I had never considered it before, almost as if I had never read it. (I can assure my readers that I have read it many times in the past.)

Nevertheless, I couldn’t reconcile the idea of sacrifice with praise, for in my mind, my primary association with sacrifice is that of giving something up that has personal value, yet not from any internal desire, but from an external influence. For example, I don’t sacrifice a meal unless I have to (Doctors orders) , or at the very least, believe some resultant benefit will come from it (a personal fast for concentrating on God’s will, or a period of prayer).

Another tripping thought for me was the idea that sacrifice involves a death, as in the Old Testament Levitical system with the slaughter of bulls, goats and sheep. In our modern world, this does not literally occur in the Christian life, and I had another disconnect in my thinking regarding this verse.

It just didn’t make sense for me, and, as a paradox is wont to do, it took me outside of my usual way of thinking.

So for the remainder of the day and into the weekend, this nagging disconnect kept floating around in my mind. Until I mixed in the human experience, (and not just a logical analysis of the verse) did it become apparent as to what the author was describing.

Consider the background of the epistle. Groups of Hebrew’s were being ostracized, persecuted and rejected by their religious culture, and the apostle was addressing their condition. They seemed to be at the edge of apostacy, willing to jump for it was simply too hard for some.

So what does the apostle challenge this group with. Sacrifice. A very familiar concept for these believers, for they grew up in a culture of sacrifice, or giving up something to the God of their fathers. Only, sly apostle as he was. this sacrifice was something that would not only honor the Lord Jesus, but also give them strength to endure.

For you see, as the believer decides to praise the Father and Son, specifically in the midst of trials and tribulations, when the situation is difficult, disappointing and even discouraging, an active decision to praise when he or she doesn’t feel like it, that is the sacrifice the apostle is admonishing these believers to enter into.

Many believers who may be reading this may consider this to be Christianity 101. This is true, for we are to praise Him for His glorious working in our lives when we see it and don’t see it, when we feel it and when we don’t feel it. So true, but this verse and the message it had for me that weekend produced a memory that I can tuck away in a corner of my mind for future times of difficulty.

The Lord is faithful, and I trust that He will remind me of this “paradox” the next time a period of difficulty arrives at my doorstep.

For that I praise Him!

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