An Amazing Sacrifice

Friday - November 6th

Day 6: Attitude of Gratitude

Scripture to Read Today: Hebrews 13:8-16

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Through Jesus, therefore,

let us continually offer to

God a sacrifice of praise—

the fruit of lips that openly

profess his name.

Hebrews 13:15

"I would give anything to see the smile on her face when she receives them," Kevin said.

Kevin Ashford of San Jose was about to make a little girl he had never met very, very happy. The girl he is talking about is 9-year-old Reese Osterberg. She lives in Fresno County. Like so many hundreds of families, she lost her home in September's Creek Fire.

Reese, a young baseball fan, lost her entire collection of 100 baseball cards in the fire. Kevin heard about her situation from the news. He felt he had to do something.

"I got to thinking about what I had in the garage," Kevin said. "I thought, you know what, instead of selling them on eBay, I'm going to donate them. I'm gonna donate them all and put a smile on a little girl's face."

His "all" was much more than 100 baseball cards. Kevin had over 25,000 baseball cards in his garage that he had been collecting since the late 1990s. He has some guesses as to the total value of his collection. And it is a lot of money. But, he believes the smile on Reese's face is priceless.

What a sacrifice for a stranger!

The writer of the Book of Hebrews talks about an entirely different sacrifice to make as God's children. It has nothing to do with baseball cards or anything else in this world. He says that we are to offer up to God "a sacrifice of praise through Jesus Christ." He continues by saying, "the fruit of lips that openly profess his name." Our lives are to be marked as lives of gratitude and praise to our God. The Bible says that when we profess Jesus' name and give Him praise, we make a sacrifice.

The cost is to exalt another - not ourselves wholly. It is to give all our attention and adoration to Him - to point others to Him. We pronounce our praise from our lips. This is not about whispering praise to God that no one will hear. This is about being open and free about praising our God for Who He is.

Do you regularly give God the praise due His name? Are you lifting up God with others? Are you in the habit of offering up to God "a sacrifice of praise?"

A sacrifice of praise brings glory to God.

A sacrifice of praise costs us our time and may cost us, friends. But, what a great way to be grateful and risk something on our God!