But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
Psalms 50:23 (NLT)
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God.
When we thank God we acknowledge the good he has done and we recognize him as good. Thus, thanksgiving is an expression of our faith in who he is and what he does. This is why we honor him when we thank him. We are declaring and displaying him to all beings in the heavenlies.
If we maintain an attitude of thanksgiving and stay faithful to his teachings then we receive a blessing that is far more valuable than anything we sacrifice. We get to see the salvation of God. This is more than the privilege of living in the next age. It also means we get to see and experience his process of redeeming us now. We get to see his work in our lives in ways that faithless people do not.
This reminds us of Matthew 5:8 where Jesus promised: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (ESV) God wants to encourage us that pursuing holiness is more than worth, for we get to “see” God. Even if those around us do not pursue faithfulness we still fix our eyes on the author of our salvation. If we stay true to his “narrow way” then we begin to see his beauty and peace and power and wisdom and love. This is the supreme treasure.
