A Sacrifice of Thanks
A Sacrifice of Thanks
Suppose a woman with arthritis in her hands embroidered a set of pillowcases for you as a thank-you gift. The gift would mean more to you than if sewn by a woman with nimble fingers. Why? Because the arthritic woman expended extraordinary effort. Her expression of thanks involved cost and sacrifice. You’d take into account the extra hours she invested and the pain she endured with each stitch. Most likely, you would be moved to tears. Her suffering “glorified” her gratitude, making it more valuable in your eyes.
If we respond this way to sacrifices, how much more is God enthused when we sacrifice thank offerings to him? We offer a sacrifice of thanks when things are hard. Psalm 50:23 says, “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.” When trials sandblast you to the core and your bruised feelings scream, Forget God! or your weary mind is too clouded to see through the fog, this is the time to express gratitude to God. True, such gratitude involves cost and sacrifice—it costs your logic and you sacrifice your pride. But your thank offering is glorified as you push through the pain to present gratitude to God for his blessings.
©Kuzma