Is Thanksgiving A Sacrifice?

What do you think of when I say “praise”? Or “worship”? Immediately, we conjure up images of people with raised hands, silhouetted by blue and green lights flowing from a worship stage. Perhaps, you see someone in the car singing at the top of their lungs as a worship song plays. But what if I posed this question next to you…is offering thanksgiving and praise a form of sacrifice?

Connecting With Jonah

This brief book is full of a story we all know. Veggie Tales brought it to us in movie form, prompting vivid scenes when it’s mentioned anywhere. It’s one of the books we don’t typically go to when seeking answers on praise and thanksgiving.

Quick recap, Jonah was asked to go to Nineveh, but instead got on a boat to run from God’s command. A tempest blows up and is so fierce that they all agree to cast Jonah out because it seems to be a judgment from God, which it was. God pursued Jonah. Then, a big fish swallows the man for three days before spitting him out onto Nineveh’s shores. And God prompts Jonah once more to go to Nineveh, have them repent, and save them.

Ok, so Jonah listens and it works. But instead of being happy Jonah complains and is confused as to why he had to go to such evil people, tell them to repeat and then God forgives them. (It mirrors parts of the “Prodigal Son” in touching relatable ways.)

1.) Jonah Had Lots Of “Why’s”

At this point in the story, I see so many parallels to our lives. Jonah eventually did what the Lord instructed but his heart, his flesh, kept pulling him into the”why’s” and “what if’s” of life. He questioned God in why He sent him, and why God forgave this group of people. Even after he had already obeyed the Lord.

For modern day readers, I can speak for myself, this is slightly a confusing part to read but I think the beautiful thing to take away is that Jonah kept struggling with his emotions and questions. And as we look at chapter four we see the care and love of God as He speaks to Jonah and tells the man to trust His work. And God’s mercy as he shades Jonah and teaches him is also displayed. The crazy thing is we never see Jonah’s response. Or we don’t read it per say…

2.) Jonah’s Response

We all go through times of wrestling with things like Jonah did. To me, it seems he struggled with trust, confusion, pain and feelings that he could not make sense of. He was scared to listen and continued to be confused of God’s plan throughout the book. And one second, he was confident to walk into what God said, but the next he poured out so many angry thoughts.

If that’s not a mirror for ourselves, I don’t know what is. And sadly, we may end Jonah wondering, “Well, we have no idea how Jonah took God’s gentle push and teaching.” Oh, but there is one verse that I believe leads us to know how Jonah may have responded.

Inside the fish’s belly, Jonah sought God deeply. Verse two says of chapter two says, “…I cried by reason of my affliction…”. His affliction. He knew his pain and knew he needed a good helping of God time.

Then, further down in that chapter, just before God’s second command to go to Nineveh, Jonah says this, “But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.” (KJV) (read it in NIV here…)

And while we never see Jonah’s answer but only get this “before” type picture, I think it shows Jonah’s true heart. But his struggle is also part of his flesh. Everyday we struggle, everyday we pray for things and then we feel empowered over it. Yet, then a week passes and the same thing we thought we had conquered returns. Jonah illustrates humanity, faith and praise in such a way we can connect to. It is ok to struggle over and over and keep running to God. He is the only one that can aid us in this quest of life.

Praising In The Unknown Is True Worship

Looking at those two verses, one just has to pause and soak that in. Jonah admitted his confines and aches by saying he is crying out in affliction. This teaches us two things; We can admit our confusion to God, and that we always need to humble ourselves in prayer to Him. We have to push past the longing to store up our doubts, pains, and hurts, and instead, reach out to God. Let Him unburden us and hold our questions. Because we see later, that He answers. He truly does. And He is gentle and loving, refreshing like the wind singing between limbs or a warm bathing of sunlight to a cold face.

But not only do we go to Him, we can offer a sacrifice to Him. Our faith and actions can be a sacrifice we give in hope, and in the knowledge of who He is. Jonah in chapter 2 verse 9 reminds us of this fact of thanksgiving and worship. He was giving thanks. And just a reminder, Jonah is praising in the dark of a fish’s stomach. Not the most ideal place to break into song, or cry out God’s goodness.

Praising in the midst of our pain and trials is a beautiful way to honor God. It is even more stunning if it comes from a place of brokenness and no return. We don’t see a way out. But yet, we have faith that God is working and that we will once more see the light.

“Faith without works is dead…” and even though we see a lot more of Jonah’s struggling than his good works, I truly believe that gives it more power. There is not even a lot focused on when he helped the people in Nineveh, but more on his and God’s back and forth. Jonah struggled over and over but each time he fell, he eventually reached back out to God.

And God saw that, He saw the faith and praise in the confusion, and God answered Him. God spoke to him and taught Jonah as the good Father He is. We need to remember to turn to God and give thanks when we are so deep in our own darkness, our own fish, that we feel hopeless. We must repent when we run, repent when we don’t live for Him, and run back. In every confusion and affliction we must go to Him and praise Him in advance. And we must thank Him for all He is and has already done.

When we seek Him while in our own fish of confusions, He pulls us close and sees the sacrifice and faith we display.