A New Sacrifice to God
Scripture Reading — Hebrews 13:15-19
Through Jesus . . . let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise. . . . And do not forget to do good and to share with others.
Hennie was 13 years old when her parents took her and her siblings from their native Netherlands to Canada. She vividly remembers how they arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, after crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The family then took a week-long train journey across Canada to British Columbia.
Getting settled in a new land was difficult. They were initially housed in a farm building where animals had been kept. But the family trusted God, prayed hard, and worked a lot.
Looking back, Hennie gives thanks to God for carrying them through some challenging times and blessing them richly—physically, spiritually, and financially. Today Hennie is a generous supporter of Christian causes, giving back to the Lord from what he has given to her.
Today’s passage teaches us to give God a new kind of sacrifice. The animal offerings of the Old Testament are obsolete. This “sacrifice of praise” involves the attitudes of our heart and includes thanksgiving and praise that we offer to the Lord. In addition, we are instructed to “do good and to share with others,” which truly pleases our heavenly Father.
What are you offering as a sacrifice to God? Are you thanking and praising him through Jesus Christ? Are you using the resources he gave you to do good and share with others?
Father, thank you for blessing us daily and for sacrificing your only Son, Jesus, to save us. Help us to honor and please you by doing good and sharing with others. Amen.s
About the author — Sergei Sosedkin
Rev. Sergei Sosedkin is the Russian-language ministry leader for ReFrame Ministries. He is a native of Moscow, Russia. As he oversees the Russian-language ministry, Rev. Sosedkin works from our office in Grand Rapids and in various locations in Russia.
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