The praise, a sacrifice ?

"Let us therefore offer, by him, unceasingly to God a sacrifice of praise, that is to say, the fruit of the lips that confess his name." Hebrews 13

In the church I frequented when I was a young adult, a brother frequently read the above verse at the beginning of Sunday worship. His formulation surprised me : to offer praise to God, certainly ; but why "sacrifices" of praise ?

Of course, in the general context of the Epistle to the Hebrews, it is easy to understand that the author contrasts the material and animal sacrifices of the old covenant with the spiritual sacrifices of the new covenant.

But one day this verse has taken on a whole new dimension. The week had been marked by a terrible drama: a couple of young people from the church had just died from a car accident on their honeymoon. On Sunday morning, the audience was still shocked and rethinking the burial ceremony that had taken place in the same place three days earlier. How to praise God in such circumstances ? And it was the father of the deceased young wife who indicated the first song :

"Through Jesus Christ we offer you

Sacrifices of praise ;

Through Jesus we adore you,

O thou whom the angels worship !

O our God ! God bless you

By thy people gathered together !"

What an unforgettable lesson for all of us ! This spiritual brother understood the true meaning of the verse quoted; despite intense suffering, despite the trouble of all his unanswered questions, he brought to his God a true "sacrifice" of praise. Some days praise spontaneously. But on certain days praise is an act of faith and will, because we do not understand why God allows such an adverse circumstance because we have the impression that our instant prayers receive no answer, feel more the love of God for us. These days, included as others in the "incessant" of our verse, encourage us to read some portions of this magnificent letter to the Hebrews ; let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who has also experienced atrocious circumstances on the cross and be strengthened by his example (Heb. 12: 2, 3) - to offer "sacrifice of praise" again.

Source (To pleasing the Lord)