Praise II - Spiritual Growth for New Believers

1. The Sacrifice of Praise

Praise is greatly emphasized and is abundant in the Bible, especially in the Psalms, which is filled with words of praise. The Psalms are a book of praise in the Old Testament, and many of the praises people offer are drawn from these Psalms.

However, we must note that the Psalms not only contain praises, but also expressions of suffering. God intentionally shows us that those who offer praise have often been led through difficult circumstances where their feelings were hurt. Many saints were led into darkness by God, forsaken by people, slandered, and persecuted—"Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts; all your waves and your billows have gone over me" (Psalm 42:7). In such circumstances, praise was produced in them. The words of praise do not only come from those in favorable circumstances but also from those who have been disciplined and refined. In the Psalms, the deepest feelings of pain are often touched upon, and it is within these most painful moments that the highest and most profound praise arises. God's people, having gone through much hardship, suffering, slander, and difficulties, are made to praise God in these moments, teaching them to become people who praise God even in challenging circumstances.

Therefore, it is not necessarily the happiest people who offer the loudest praise; often, it is those who have been through difficulties before God. This kind of praise is the most pleasing to God and the most blessed by Him. God does not want praise only when people stand on the mountain, facing the promised land of Canaan, but He prefers that, even in the "valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23:4), people can still sing praises and write Psalms. This is the true praise.

This shows us the nature of praise before God. The nature of praise is a sacrifice, a kind of offering. In other words, praise comes out of hardship and difficulty. Hebrews 13:15 says, "Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name." What is a sacrifice? A sacrifice is a loss, a death, a cost. The one offering a sacrifice must experience a loss. To offer a sacrifice is to give up something. A cow or a sheep that belongs to you is sacrificed, and you lose it when you offer it. Offering a sacrifice does not bring gain, but it involves loss. When saints offer praise, they are offering a sacrifice by giving up something. In other words, God allows you to be wounded, He allows you to be crushed, He allows you to be deeply pierced, and you bring that praise to Him. This act of offering praise after being hurt is a sacrifice. God loves this kind of praise. God wants such praise to be the throne upon which He sits. How does God receive praise? He wants His children to experience loss in order to offer praise. It is not praise that comes when you have received, but praise that comes in the midst of loss. The principle of sacrifice is based on loss—there cannot be a sacrifice without loss. God desires that, even when we experience loss, we still offer praise—that is a true sacrifice.

We should not only pray before God, but also learn to be people of praise before Him. When you first become a Christian, you must recognize how important praise is. You should always be praising God. David, by God's grace, praised God seven times a day. If we can manage to praise God every day, that is a great learning, a wonderful spiritual discipline. You should learn to praise God when you wake up, when you face difficulties, during meetings, and when you are alone. You should aim to praise God at least seven times a day, not less than David did. If you do not practice praising God daily, it will be hard to offer the kind of sacrifice of praise mentioned in Hebrews 13.

When you learn to praise God, there will come a day when you cannot find the strength to praise. Perhaps you have been able to praise God seven times today, seven times yesterday, seven times the day before, and seven times last week. But one day, you will find it difficult. That day will be when you are in pain, when you feel there is no light in your life, when everything seems to go wrong, when you are falsely accused, slandered, and overwhelmed with sorrow. You may even feel like you cannot cry for yourself, let alone praise God. In that moment, due to your injury, pain, and difficulty, praise seems impossible to offer. It feels more natural to complain than to praise, more natural to feel discontent than to give thanks. You may not even feel like praising, and the idea of praise feels completely out of place in that situation. But at that moment, you must remember: God’s throne has not changed, His name has not changed, and His glory has not changed. You must praise Him, for He is worthy of praise. You must bless Him because He is deserving of blessing. Though you encounter hardships, He is still worthy of praise. Though you are in lack, you still cannot stop praising Him. In that moment, your praise becomes a sacrifice of praise. Your praise is like offering up your best calf to be slaughtered, or binding your beloved Isaac to the altar. You are offering praise through tears—this is the sacrifice of praise. What is a sacrifice? A sacrifice is injury, it is death, it is loss, it is a giving up. You are wounded before God, you die before God, you experience loss and sacrifice before God, and in that moment, you see that God’s throne is secure in heaven, and His throne is unshakable. You cannot help but praise God. This is the sacrifice of praise. God loves when His children praise Him in all circumstances, in every situation, and in every condition.