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A Sacrifice of Praise
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name” – Heb. 13:15 (NIV)
Praise becomes a sacrifice (costly) when we offer it to God in the midst of the contrary situations of life. It doesn’t really take much to praise God when things are fine or not too bad. But it is much harder to keep on praising God when our hopes are dashed and we are surrounded by troubles. Surely it is much easier at such times to blame rather than praise God. Yet learning to offer costly praise is crucial if we want to see God’s victory.
In Hebrew 13: 15 the Bible says that what we are doing by such a sacrifice is confessing his name. What that means is that as we continue to praise God even when all seems hopeless, we are confessing all that God is, over our situation. We are confessing that he is love, even though it looks as if he has abandoned us. We are confessing that he is all-wise despite the confusion that faces us. We are confessing his almighty power, even though our situation may look impossible. The bible says, “with such sacrifices God is pleased”(Heb.13: 16 – NIV), and it causes him to act mightily on our behalf.
That was what happened to Paul and Silas. They had been shamefully beaten by the people they had gone to help, and when they found themselves faced with a night of hopelessness in prison, they CHOSE to offer a sacrifice of praise. Their minds may have rebelled against it, but they decided not to miss the opportunity to offer God a sacrifice. We know how this their sacrifice went up as a sweet smelling savour to God, and provoked him to come down and shake their prison.
This kind of praise has very little to do with our emotions. God does not look at our feelings but rather at our willingness to praise him in spite of how we may be feeling. This kind of offering is one that comes from our heart and our will, but it must be expressed through our lips. Not only does it bring God’s intervention, but also the repeated offering of this kind of sacrifice builds character into us. So let’s not waste the opportunity that the troubles of life offer us. Let us offer unto God a sacrifice of praise!
In concluding here is a chorus from a song by Larnelle Harris:
“When praise demands a sacrifice,
I’d worship even then.
Surrendering the dearest things in life;
And if devotion cost me all,
He’d find me faithful to his call
When praise demands a sacrifice”
22
When God Brings Laughter
“Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah what he had promised…Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me'”. Genesis 21:1& 6 (NIV)
It is very encouraging to read here that God ‘was gracious to Sarah’. Just think, it was the same Sarah who doubted and laughed, whom God now visited for good! Our God is gracious. In as much as he longs to see strong faith develop in us, he does not disown us when it becomes a struggle for us to keep on believing.
Sarah had laughed the year before when the angels reaffirmed God’s promise that this aged woman would bear a son, and that it would be within a year (Genesis 18:9-15). Now I can relate to Sarah’s disbelief. After over two decades of hoping against hope, it had become hard for Sarah not to doubt. It was not that she could no longer believe. It was just that she could no longer help doubting.
Beloved, God understands the weariness that comes to our soul from waiting and struggling to keep holding onto his promises to us. But he is gracious. He does not abandon us when we struggle with believing. Listen:
“If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself” 2 Tim 2:13 (NIV)
Sarah said God had brought her laughter. She had been used to people laughing all around her. But it was never with her but at her. For years she had endured the jeers of men because of her obvious barrenness and it seemed at one point that things would never change. But we serve a gracious God who knows how to bring us laughter!
“And she added, ‘Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” ‘ Gen 21:7 (NIV)
Who would have believed that Sarah’s case could ever have changed? But our God is gracious. He delights to bring us laughter!
Does your situation look impossible? Have you come to the point where it seems foolish to keep on believing that God’s promise to you will ever come to pass? Has it become a struggle for you to believe? Listen, don’t despair, our God is gracious. God has not forgotten you. At the right time he will bring laughter to you too. He knows how to make impossibilities possible. He will cause men to laugh with you too.
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Aug 2011 Prayer Bulletin (Capro Missions SA)
Dear Praying Friends of CAPRO SA, “Please pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ.”Colossians 4:3.
We want to thank you for using this daily prayer sheet to pray for CAPRO. All we do depend upon faithful prayers like yours to produce the fruits God desires as we labour to equip the Church to take the gospel to the remaining unreached peoples. The few minutes you invest daily in lifting these subjects to heaven is making an eternity of a difference in the lives of so many. So be encouraged as you keep praying.
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Part 3: Now show me your glory
“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
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