The Sacrifice of Praise

Let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices and announce his works with shouts of joy. —Psalm 107:22

When I read verses like the one above, it doesn’t conjure up images of meat sizzling on an altar. But I’ll bet that’s what the nation of Israel pictured as they sang this song. Perhaps they could almost smell that sweet aroma of the fat portion of meat (per the instructions in Leviticus 7) that signified to God their thanksgiving.

We obviously no longer sacrifice bulls and lambs to deal with our sin and give thanks to God. Jesus was our once-for-all sin offering, laid on the altar by God. But out of gratitude for all God has done, there’s one sacrifice we’re told to keep offering: the sacrifice of praise.

Hebrews 13:15 says, “Continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.” So, the sacrifice we lay on the altar—the thing that becomes a sweet aroma to God—is fruit. Not the sort of fruit you eat but the sort that grows up from your heart and forms into words that acknowledge God.

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 “Thanks for Everything” (ReviveOurHearts.com/blog)

Scripture taken from The CSB