David said, “I will not offer to the Lord that which cost me nothing”. David realized that for his offering to be a sacrifice it had to cost him something, he had to give up something. I want my praise (all I have to offer) to be a sacrifice of praise. Let me tell you something sweeties, when your child is laying on a hospital bed and you don’t know if that child is going to live or die and you can still come to church and raise your arms and praise Him, honey that’s when your praise becomes a sacrifice. When you can stand over the grave of a loved one and raise your voice and sing praises to the Lord, then your praise becomes a sacrifice. When your spouse tells you they have given their heart to someone else and wants a divorce and you feel as if YOUR heart has been ripped out of your chest but you still come to church and offer Him praises for all the good He has done, then your praise becomes a sacrifice.

 Let me tell you about a precious friend of mine who was battling breast cancer and who just happened to be the worship leader of the church I was teaching. I have seen this woman stand behind her key board when I knew she was suffering from the effects of that awful debilitating but life saving drug chemo and play and sing her heart out and do it Sunday after Sunday with a smile ever on her face. That my friends is a sacrifice of praise! I call that woman my hero.

 But back to David, he would not offer to the Lord that which cost him nothing. Can I tell you something….one Good Friday God offered up the ultimate sacrifice and it cost Him everything! It cost Him every drop of blood that flowed from those precious veins. It cost Him His very life! So I ask you this morning…what have you sacrificed for Him? How has your praise been made a sacrifice of praise? Can you praise Him in the midst of your storm? Can you sing praises and thank Him for all the blessings He has given you when your heart is breaking and you wonder where He’s at and even if He cares? If you have or if you can then your praise becomes a sacrifice. ” Therefore, through Him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that confess His name.”

 Be blessed and remember if this is your Friday….Sunday’s coming. This is only Friday…your Sunday’s on it’s way! Stand tall! Keep the faith! Run the race! Don’t give up cause Sunday’s on it’s way!
Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus!

In His love,
Elizabetg