A Sacrifice of Praise

O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.

─ Psalm 116:16-17

There are many verses in the Bible that encourage us to give thanks and praise to God. The Psalmist often poured out his heart to God and chose to give thanks even though his situation was beyond dismal.

The book of Psalms is attributed to a handful of writers—the most prolific being King David. He often wrote honestly about the difficult situations he faced in the first few verses of a psalm. But then he always chose faith. Usually that came with a reminder of who God is and what He had done to prove His faithfulness. That proven faithfulness was a reminder to David that God could be trusted even in the current darkness.

David offered a sacrifice of praise. No doubt it cost him something to make a joyful noise to the Lord. He certainly didn’t feel like praising God in the middle of hardship. It was probably much easier to wallow in self-pity and acknowledge his hurt. It’s the human tendency to want to do that when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances.

So, what should we say in the midst of heartache and trials?

God already knows the condition of our hearts. He knows the thoughts we think and the questions we ponder. Still, He wants to hear our praise. He wants us to acknowledge who He is and what He has done. Even when we don’t feel like it. The Psalms are filled with reminders to serve God with gladness and to make a joyful noise.

God isn’t looking for perfect harmonies or songs sweeter than a bird’s. He’s looking for our love. And when we worship Him in the hard times and good, we’re giving Him a sacrifice of praise.

Today’s One Thing

Are you waiting until you feel like giving God praise to worship Him? Get alone with God right now and make a sacrifice of praise. Sing a worship song. Recite a psalm. Read a prayer. Show God how much you love Him no matter your circumstances.

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