I sometimes think that our human nature blinds us to the good things that people do. We have no problem finding – and expressing our displeasure at – the mistakes made by others, but telling someone they have done a good job is difficult. It even comes out in our word usage. When someone helps you, how often do you simply say, “Thanks”? We have depersonalized even our expressions of gratitude. Thank you, or even better, using the name of the person we are recognizing, makes our praise personal. Try it for a while!
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.Hebrews 13:15-17
Praise. What does it mean? The dictionary defines it as an expression admiration or approval. The root of the Greek word translated praise in this passage is always used in reference to God. I don’t think that God is looking for our approval of Him, but admiration and the recognition of who He is are definitely aspects of our praise. The writer of Hebrews calls it a sacrifice in this passage – a thank offering. When we are praising the Father, we are giving Him an offering. Once again, we are thanking Him for who He is and what He has done.
Notice that this passage says that our praise is to be continual. Think about that. Every moment of our lives we are to be lifting our thank offerings to God. Most of us are used to thanking people for things they do for us. We do it all the time. However, when it comes to God, we reserve our thanks for the end of our daily prayer and feel like we have done our due. Consider the fact that God gives us everything we have, including the very air we breathe and the ability to breathe it. If for no other reason than the gift of life, we should be praising God with our every breath.
The writer goes on to say that our praise should be the natural outgrowth of our spiritual condition – “the fruit of lips that confess His name.” Our Father sent His only Son to pay our sin debt on the cross. Jesus then left death behind and walked out of the tomb so that He could sit at the right hand of His Father and make intercession for us – continually. We don’t need an earthly priest or an annual blood sacrifice. God took care of that once and for all. Once we “confess” the name of Jesus, our salvation is secure – forever. Can you think of any reason why we shouldn’t praise Him continually for that?
This passage goes on to give us some other ways that we lift up our sacrifice to God. Do good and share with others. Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. Keep watch over them. Make their work a joy instead of a burden. Do you see a pattern here? Every one of these examples deals with our interactions with others! The sweet smelling savor of our offerings rise when we love our neighbors and respect Biblical authority. It follows that, if we want to praise God continually, we need to be focusing on our relationships with others as well as our relationship with God.
Praise. It is a much used and often misunderstood word, but essential to the life of a Christ-follower. I believe that praise, like worship, is an attitude as well as an action. When we have our relationships with God and man right – we are praising God. When we recognize who God really is, we will fall down at His feet in worship to the only one worthy of our worship. We thank people when they do something good for us. It should be the same with God - but He has done, is doing, and will eternally do things for us that only He can do. Consequently our thank offering must be continual.
We serve an awesome God!!!!!
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.Hebrews 13:15-17
Praise. What does it mean? The dictionary defines it as an expression admiration or approval. The root of the Greek word translated praise in this passage is always used in reference to God. I don’t think that God is looking for our approval of Him, but admiration and the recognition of who He is are definitely aspects of our praise. The writer of Hebrews calls it a sacrifice in this passage – a thank offering. When we are praising the Father, we are giving Him an offering. Once again, we are thanking Him for who He is and what He has done.
Notice that this passage says that our praise is to be continual. Think about that. Every moment of our lives we are to be lifting our thank offerings to God. Most of us are used to thanking people for things they do for us. We do it all the time. However, when it comes to God, we reserve our thanks for the end of our daily prayer and feel like we have done our due. Consider the fact that God gives us everything we have, including the very air we breathe and the ability to breathe it. If for no other reason than the gift of life, we should be praising God with our every breath.
The writer goes on to say that our praise should be the natural outgrowth of our spiritual condition – “the fruit of lips that confess His name.” Our Father sent His only Son to pay our sin debt on the cross. Jesus then left death behind and walked out of the tomb so that He could sit at the right hand of His Father and make intercession for us – continually. We don’t need an earthly priest or an annual blood sacrifice. God took care of that once and for all. Once we “confess” the name of Jesus, our salvation is secure – forever. Can you think of any reason why we shouldn’t praise Him continually for that?
This passage goes on to give us some other ways that we lift up our sacrifice to God. Do good and share with others. Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. Keep watch over them. Make their work a joy instead of a burden. Do you see a pattern here? Every one of these examples deals with our interactions with others! The sweet smelling savor of our offerings rise when we love our neighbors and respect Biblical authority. It follows that, if we want to praise God continually, we need to be focusing on our relationships with others as well as our relationship with God.
Praise. It is a much used and often misunderstood word, but essential to the life of a Christ-follower. I believe that praise, like worship, is an attitude as well as an action. When we have our relationships with God and man right – we are praising God. When we recognize who God really is, we will fall down at His feet in worship to the only one worthy of our worship. We thank people when they do something good for us. It should be the same with God - but He has done, is doing, and will eternally do things for us that only He can do. Consequently our thank offering must be continual.
We serve an awesome God!!!!!
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