Hebrews: A Sacrifice of Praise

Several years ago I had a serious mental and emotional crash. It was the most terrifying experience of my life. I descended into a pit of depression and despair that was so deep I thought I would never see the sun again. Oh, I continued to go to church every Sunday and stood with the congregation during praise and worship. But I couldn’t sing. I wept. One day as I was driving, Crowder’s song, “Oh Praise Him” came on the radio. I felt a nudge in my spirit, “Sing child.” “I can’t” I replied, as tears began to burn my eyes. “Sing anyway.” So I choked out the first chorus, “Oh, praise Him. O praise Him. He is holy. He is holy.” I kept singing – or croaking – to be honest. But by the end of that song, I was singing clearly, “Oh, la, la, la, la, la, la” with tears streaming down my face. That was the day my healing began.

The author of Hebrews wrote, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name” (Heb 13:15). I understand this verse. Sometimes praise is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. Remember, this was written to Jewish believers in Christ who were facing extreme oppression and persecution for their faith. Many were turning away from Christ and abandoning the faith because it was just getting too hard. The author implored them to instead offer praise to God in their suffering, even if it came at a high cost.

I won’t deny that life is hard and pain is real. But God is still worthy of praise. He is still good. He is still sovereign. He is still awesome in power. He is still holy. And He is with us in our pain. David said, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted . . .” (Ps 34:18). If that’s you today, let me assure you that God is near. He has not abandoned you in your heartache. He has tenderly drawn you close. If you’re still you can feel His breath ruffling your hair. If you listen you can hear His heart beating. Then you may hear Him say, “Sing, child.” I know. It’s not easy. But sing anyway Beloved, even if all you can do is whisper through your tears. He’ll hear you. He’s not listening to your words; He’s listening to your heart.

God Knows

“For the Lord your God knows your trudging through this great wilderness.  These forty years the Lord your God has been with you” (Deuteronomy 2:7).

Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen,

Nobody knows my sorrow

Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen

Nobody knows but Jesus.

The beautiful old African-American spiritual was a testament to the struggles and the faith of the slaves of the 1800’s.  Louie Armstrong recorded the song in 1962 and many more have followed.  This song could have also been sung by the early church martyrs and even the Israelites who fled Egypt and set out toward the Promised Land.  It reminds us that life is hard, sometimes very hard, but God is aware and He is with us.

As the second generation of Israelites prepared to cross over the Jordan River, Moses reminded them of their own history and warned them not to turn again to the rebellious ways of their fathers.  Earlier, when they had neared Canaan, Moses sent twelve scouts to look over the land and bring a full report.  They confirmed that the land was rich and desirable, but they balked at taking on the current occupants, fearing they would be destroyed.  Their disobedience resulted in forty years of wandering to allow the unfaithful generation to die so that the next generation – hopefully wiser and more faithful than their parents – could go in.  It was forty years of hardship and drudgery – “trudging through the great wilderness.”  For the faithless Israelites it was long, hard journey to nowhere.

I think “trudging” is a great word to describe life sometimes.  It brings up the image of weary feet-dragging and endless, pointless plodding in a dry and unfriendly terrain.  Life feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it?  Day after day after day of struggle and difficulty.  You try to just keep putting one foot in front of the other, but even that feels like more than you can do at times.  You wonder if anyone sees you.  If anyone cares.

My friend, I promise you, on the Word of God and my own life experience, Someone does.  Someone sees every step you take.  Someone hears every sigh and catches every tear.  You know who that Someone is – it is God, the Creator, the Almighty, the Sovereign One.  He is watching over you, just as He watched over the Israelites in their forty-year trek across the wilderness.  Not only was He watching over them, He was with them.  Close enough to see the weariness on their faces.  And day by day by day He cared for them.  He led them.  He fed them. He provided for them.

I know sometimes it feels like you are all alone in your struggles but be assured God is with you.  He is near and He cares about you.  He will lead you.  He will provide for you.  He will comfort you and encourage you – it’s what He loves to do.  If He cared enough to send His one and only Son to die for you, do you think He will forget you in your daily struggles?  Oh Beloved, I understand – I’ve been through some very hard times. I’m in a difficult season right now.  At times I thought I was all alone – especially when my troubles were self-made.  But God has always been good, He has never abandoned me, and He will never abandon you.

The Israelites found God faithful.  The early church and the martyrs of the first century and beyond found Him to be the same.  And so have I.  He has never let His people down.  He has never left them alone in their struggles.  He has not changed.  He is as good and faithful today as He was hundreds, even thousands of years ago.

When you think, “Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen,” remember “the Lord your God knows.” He is near and ready to help.

Holy Father, some days feel like I’m trudging through an endless wilderness.  I need Your help and the comfort of Your presence.  Help me to trust that You are watching over me and that you are with me every step of the way.  Amen.

 

From a distance…

“Peter followed at a distance…”  Luke 22:54b

I remember reading a quote, though I don’t know who said it, that asks the question –

“If you don’t feel close to God anymore, who moved?”  A quick internet search yields more than 112 million hits, of people who are wondering why they don’t feel as close to God as they once did.  People are leaving churches by the droves because they feel that God is remote, unavailable and uninterested in their lives.   The pop singer, Bette Midler sang a song with these lyrics: “God is watching us, from a distance.”  In this age of “spirituality,” fewer and fewer people can testify to a close and personal relationship with God.  I’d like to tell you that Ms. Midler’s theology is way off and God is as near to you and me as our next breath.

Peter is the prime example of one who walked closely with the Savior, yet allowed himself to drift.  One of Christ’s most passionate disciples, Peter swore allegiance to Jesus-even to the point of death, saying “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). But Jesus knew that Peter’s bold talk would not sustain his resolve.  He told Peter “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me” (v. 34).   And sure enough, Luke 22:54-62 tells us that Peter did just as the Lord said he would.

How does one who walked so closely with Jesus turn away from Him so easily?  I’d like to offer something I see in this passage:

First, our key verse gives us one important clue – “Peter followed at a distance.”  By the words used in this verse, we see a contradiction in Peter’s actions.  He “followed” – which means in the original Greek, “to accompany, to be a disciple,” so he heads out with the heart of a disciple, to accompany his Lord and Teacher.  But he followed “at a distance” and this Greek word means “far away, at length.” Out of fear for his own life, Peter fell back, and the distance between him and Jesus began to work on his heart.  When he separated himself, his passion for the Lord cooled, and rather than a heart warmed by his love for Jesus, he warms himself by a man-made fire.  His passion for Christ has chilled to the point that he openly denies the One he previously swore to follow to prison and death.

It is the same with you and me – when we begin to allow the cares and offerings of this world to draw us away from our Savior, our hearts begin to cool toward Christ, and rather than draw near to Him, we turn and warm our cold hearts at worldly fires.  Is Sunday morning more about a sports event than gathering with the saints in God’s house?  Are we more concerned about keeping up with our favorite TV programs or with reading and studying God’s Word?  Am I having more “Facebook” conversations than heart conversations with God in prayer?  Is there an unconfessed sin that is driving you away from the One who died for your sins?  Am I reluctant to confess that I know Jesus at all?

Now let me offer this a beautiful contrast. God has made a promise to you and me: “the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).  Our Heavenly Father has promised, no matter how far we roam, He goes with us and will never leave us.  He commanded the Israelites to build a place for Him, that He might dwell in the midst of His people.  He came in frail human flesh, Jesus Christ, and walked among the very ones He would give His life for.  And He has sent His Holy Spirit to all who will believe in Christ for salvation; His indwelling presence to be with us through this earthly life.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, He declares “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power, neither height nor depth, no anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).  God has proclaimed that He will be with His children, and there is no power or force or thing that can take us from His love.  God is never distant from His beloved child.  The gap that you feel is not God pulling away from you.  He can never separate Himself from us, if we are in Christ Jesus.  Pop songs are not theology, God is watching us, but not from a distance.  He is watching us, caring for us and loving us from within our own hearts, as He lives in us through His Holy Spirit. He is as near as your next prayer.

Holy Father, when I think I have lost my way, and have wandered far from You, I need only call on Your Name, for you are always with me.  Thank You for never giving up on me.  Amen