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I will never forget the sight and experience of my husband leading our church in worship the week after we lost our baby. With hands lifted high in praise and open in surrender, he proclaimed the faithfulness and goodness of God to every soul listening and invited them to do the same.  

I will never forget the agony—and bliss—of that moment: our chance to bring a true sacrifice of praise.  

Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” (NIV) 

From the very first sacrifice in the Garden of Eden, to the daily sacrifices and burnt offerings in the temple, to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ’s own body and life, the personal cost of sacrifice—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—is great. The very nature of a sacrifice stands in great contrast to the spirit-raising joy and emotional high we commonly associate with praise. 

Certainly, we as believers have all experienced the joy and exhilaration that bursts forth in our spirit and on our lips as praise when we remember and reflect on the goodness of our God. Indeed, a heart response of exultation is only fitting for the magnitude of God’s graciousness towards us. However, Jesus Himself guarantees that in this life we will have suffering (John 16:33), and a body or spirit in pain does not naturally respond with joy, praise, or thanks. As Brandon Lake reflects in his recently released song, “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” “There’s times when my hands go up freely, and times that it costs.” How true that rings! In those seasons, our praise is lifted up as a conscious decision, a determined declaration of thanksgiving that defies the pain of our circumstances. 

Throughout Scripture, praise and thanksgiving are constantly uttered in the same breath. In English, we might distinguish thanksgiving as an expression of gratitude for specific things God has done or will do and praise as an expression of awe and wonder for who God is (His nature and character), but the two are inextricably linked. Everything God does flows out of who He is (2 Tim 2:13), and we know and experience who He is because of what He has done (Ps 103:7-14). When we praise Him for who He is, we naturally continue into thanksgiving for what He has done as well.  

The Greek word ainesis, translated as ‘praise’ in Hebrews 13:15, is used throughout the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) and is translated as both ‘praise’ and ‘thanksgiving.’ Ainesis first appears in the Septuagint in Leviticus 7:12, prescribing the peace offering of thanksgiving, and then repeatedly throughout the rest of the Old Testament, referring to these ‘thank offerings’ (2 Chr 33:16, Psalm 50:14, Jeremiah 17:26). In other places, ainesis was used in translating other Hebrew words that convey both the meanings of thanksgiving and praise (Neh 9:5, Ps 9:14, Ps 26:7, Ps 69:30, Isa 51:3). The inseparability of these two heart attitudes and actions is evident all throughout Scripture. 

Thanksgiving and praise are likewise both exemplified and commanded in Scripture no matter the difficulties we are experiencing in life. In addition to Hebrews 13:15, Philippians 4:6 exhorts, “In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 commands, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Psalm 34:1-2 says, “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.” Habakkuk 3:17-18 declares, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”  

I know many of us heading into the holiday season are facing loss, grief, pain, and suffering. Our heavy hearts might not naturally or easily respond with grateful praise, but we have the opportunity of an eternity before us. Here and now, on this side of eternity, is our only chance to present our thank offerings of praise through tears and suffering. On the other side of eternity, He will wipe away the tears from our eyes, and “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Rev 21:4). Our praise and thanks will forever be offered from a place of unmarred peace and joy, but for this short time here on earth, we have the chance to present our sacrifices of praise that cost us something. 

The beauty of God’s goodness in it all is that these sacrifices will also not go unrewarded! In Revelation 22:12, Jesus declares, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done,” and 1 Peter 1:3 assures us that God has kept for us in heaven “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade.” He continues in verses 6–7 to affirm that whatever grief we have had to suffer is proving the genuineness of our faith and will result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus comes back again. Whatever the cost, physically or emotionally, our sacrifices of praise and thanks now will be abundantly repaid eternally. 

This holiday season, I pray you will join me in determinedly declaring praise and thanks to our Lord, even in the midst of your own loss or pain. Ultimately, our heartfelt praise, born through suffering, draws us closer to the heart of God and anchors our hearts in His unchanging goodness. He is truly worthy of it all! 

Previously published on December 16, 2024.