Psalm 116:17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the name of the LORD. (NIV)
Let’s be honest. Sometimes life stinks. Plans change. Dreams change. People change. It can be tough. Yet what I hear most throughout Psalm 116 is the call to praise God anyway, to praise Him in the storm, in the turmoil, in the change. That’s hard, at least for me, but I am trying to make it a life goal, my sacrifice of praise.
Psalm 116:17 I will offer You a sacrifice to show how grateful I am, and I will pray. (CEV)
Hebrews 13:15 comes strongly to mind when I think of Psalm 116:17: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.” When life is crashing down around me, praise instead of despair becomes sacrifice, choosing to give glory to God instead of lament the losses, is sacrifice. And while I still have so far to go in this practice, I know that God draws me closer each time I reach out to Him in a sacrifice of praise.
Psalm 116:17 I will bring a song of thanksgiving to You as a sacrifice. I will call on the name of the LORD. (GWT)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the ability to offer You a sacrifice of praise, even when it feels like my world is falling apart. Thank You for being my center, for holding me together, for drawing me closer. Always. Amen.
Psalm 116:1 I love the LORD, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy.
Have a blessed day.