Daily Pearls #June 13th | Psalm 116:17-18

"I will offer you sacrifices and deeds of grace, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people." Psalm 116:17-18

The true meaning of this "offering of sacrifices and actions of grace" will only be able to see and experience if we follow the path that leads to the interior of the sanctuary. The door of the sanctuary opens to us when we give thanks for the ineffable gift of God, Jesus Christ, when we praise Him for His precious shed blood and for His "flesh", that is, His body that He gave for us. Entering through the door of the sanctuary into the presence of the Holy God through praise and deeds of grace means surrendering oneself to Him who, through His blood, through His flesh, gave Himself for us. Then suddenly we will understand what the word "to offer sacrifices and actions of grace to God" means. We tend to want to separate the things that God has united, and which, from the divine point of view, are inseparable. But our attempt does not work. So, for example, we can not become one with Jesus Christ and at the same time live for ourselves. Likewise, we can not give thanks to God without at the same time bringing Him sacrifices with joy. He who separates deeds of grace and sacrifice loses his joy in the Lord. "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and keep your vows to the Most High."