Standing up for Christ often makes us targets for those who wish all mention of God to be silenced. Right this moment, there are people being troubled because of their testimony for Christ Jesus. The enemy of our soul wants to instill fear. He wants us to believe that he has the power—when it is Christ Jesus who has both the power and authority over all of heaven and earth. The enemy knows the time is short, he can hear that chain rattling in the hand of the angel that will one day bind him and cast him into the Abyss.
While we know that vindication and vengeance are in the Hands of God, how do we deal with the day to day assaults. For me, there is only one way – that is to praise and thank God Almighty. The writer of Hebrews tells us to “continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” [Heb 13:15 NKJV]
It is not a sacrifice to praise God when everything is going well, and we are coasting through life. It is easy to thank Him when blessing after blessing pours down upon us.
It is a sacrifice to praise God amid the trouble. When we least feel like praising God is when we need to praise Him the most. When there appears to be nothing going on for which to give thanks, that is when we must thank him continually. To praise and thank when everything seems wrong, when we can’t discern God’s presence with us takes a sacrificial act. (Remember, a sacrifice in the Scriptures often required the death of something.)
When we offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving amid trouble, we are putting to death our own expectations, our own sufficiency, our own perception, and instead embracing God’s opportunities, His all sufficiency and His will. No part of this is easy, but then things eternal seldom are.
