Sacrifice of Thanksgiving


"He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God." Psalm 50:23

The little phrase "sacrifice of thanksgiving" really stuck out to me last night as I read...and was swirling around my head this morning as I was fighting for joy and fighting to be thankful.

I looked up the word sacrifice in the dictionary...and here was the first definition (abbreviated): to forfeit; the act of losing or surrendering something.

If I am going to "give thanks in all circumstances" as 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to, then it will require sacrifice. It will require me to "forfeit" the way the I think it should go, the plans that I have made in my head and heart. "Man plans his steps but the Lord directs". It will mean surrendering my will for the will of the One who knows best.

A "sacrifice of thanksgiving". It's what pleases God...it's what I was created to give...but it means laying down all that I am so that I can be all that God created me to be. It can be painful...it can hurt...it can turn my world upside down when my plans prove to be the opposite of what God has planned and I am told to rejoice and give thanks when my flesh wants to cry out: Unfair! This is too hard! I don't deserve this! I thought I already "learned" that lesson! God, are you really doing what is best for me?! How can anything good hurt this much?! When is this going to just end?!

And we wait for a response...we wait for a reason for why it is so hard...wait for a reason to rejoice...and we find, instead, silence. But, if we stop fighting, stop questioning, stop arguing...we can hear God through His Word saying, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). Because when we KNOW God...really KNOW Him...we can say, as Jesus said, "Not my will but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42). We can say with Job, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You" (Job 42:5). And when we see Jesus...really see Him...we have endless reasons to give thanks. As Bryan said on Sunday when he preached...there is no void in God, in Him there is no lack...we can truly say that God is our portion (Lamentations 3:24)...He is all we need!

It might sound like I am struggling with something big...but I am not. It's truly little things. It's like a paper cut. So small that you can barely see it...but, boy, does it sting like crazy! It's in the "eating and drinking" (1 Cor. 10:31...the everyday events of life) that I often have to fight for joy and fight to give thanks. But those little things keep me dependent on a BIG God, those little things keep me humble and very much aware of my own sin and those little things prepare me for the bigger things that cut a little bit deeper and sting a whole lot more!

So, will you join me? Let's close our mouths, lets repent and let's "be still and know that HE is God!!!!!

Then Job answered the LORD and said:
"I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?'
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
'Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.'
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:1-6


Comments

For His Glory said…
Love those verses! I know exactly what you are talking about and appreciated what you shared, I think we as believers all go through this, thinking our way is the right way, but all knowing, perfect God is saying "nope, My way is best!" Thank you for the needed encouragment...
Kimberly said…
Thank you....just what I needed to read...
Anonymous said…
What a good reminder Kristin! Learning to give thanks in every circumstance is not a natural reaction is it?

Job is a wonderful example - it wasn't necessarily easy for him to say what he did, but he stated what he knew to be true about God and it gave him perspective.

This is what I need to remind myself to do many times:
Job 40:4 "Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth.