What Can I Give?

Psalm 116:12 (NIV®)
What shall I return to the LORD for all his goodness to me?

Imagine you’re at a wedding ceremony. All is lovely and going according to plan until the minister begins to talk about what the covenant of marriage entails. The groom becomes visibly agitated and blurts out, “Wait a minute! I didn’t know this much would be expected of me. I’m really not interested in making this kind of commitment. Just what, exactly, is the minimum effort I can put into this relationship and still call myself married?” It seems laughable, but that’s sometimes the way we approach our relationship with God. We don’t want to go all in; we want to do just enough to call ourselves Christians and not worry about going to Hell when this life is over. This psalmist began, “I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy” (v. 1). The Lord has heard our voices, too, and shown us the greatest of mercies. So, it is only fitting that we also ask ourselves, “What can I give back to the Lord in gratitude for all His goodness to me?”

THINK ABOUT IT
We can never repay God for His gift of redemption through the cross, nor should we try. But we can certainly express tremendous and continual gratitude through our actions and words.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I offer all my life and days to You in thanksgiving for the salvation, deliverance, healing, and spiritual freedom that Jesus purchased through the cross. Holy Spirit, help me express my gratitude in all the outworking of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.