The Sacrifice of Praise
“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice
of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.”
—Hebrews 13:15 NASB 1995
What do you think of when you think of the name of God—Almighty, Shepherd, Peace, Rock, Hope?
In Scripture, God’s name means far more than the title by which we address Him. It represents all He has revealed about Himself—His character, majesty, faithfulness, and divine excellence.
To praise His name, then, is to praise the God we have come to know through His revelation of Himself in Scripture.
And sometimes that praise rises from the particular way we have experienced Him in a circumstance.
Can you relate to one of these?
- When the need was greater than your resources, you knew Him as Provider.
- When grief left you without words, you knew Him as Comforter.
- When you did not know which way to go, you knew Him as Shepherd.
- When your own strength failed, you discovered that His strength was sufficient.
- And when you waited and watched, you knew Him as Faithful.
God does not change from one circumstance to another. But different circumstances often help us see more clearly who He has always been and bring that truth into sharper focus.
Hebrews calls this praise a sacrifice.
Sometimes praise flows easily from a grateful heart.
Those are our seasons of ease and rest.
Things are going well, and it is easy to be thankful.
But at other times, praise costs us something.
We may offer it while the prayer remains unanswered, the burden is still heavy, or the ending has not yet been revealed.
That kind of praise does not always come easily. It may require intentional effort.
It affirms that the difficulty has not changed who God is.
It declares that no matter what, He is still deserving of praise.
Notice that the verse begins with the words “Through Him.”
Old Testament worshipers understood that approaching God involved sacrifice—something of value was offered before Him.
But Hebrews has already pointed us to the greater sacrifice: Jesus Christ Himself.
Our praise today is offered through Jesus—the One who suffered for us, brought us near to God, and gives us reason to praise in every season.
So, the next time you are in a circumstance that seems to resist the idea of giving praise, name the circumstance honestly.
Then name the truth that stands high above it.
Your praise may come before the answer, before anything is resolved, and before you understand what God is doing.
That is the sacrifice of praise from our lips and our hearts.
If you are in need, praise your Provider.
If you are hurting, praise your Comforter.
If you are uncertain, praise your Shepherd.
If you are weak, praise the One whose strength is made perfect in weakness.
And if you are in a season of waiting, praise the Faithful One.
Whatever this day holds, bring forth the fruit of your lips.
Offer the sacrifice of praise to His name.
For more devotional content visit our Weekly Devotional Page.
Leave a Reply