Psa 116:12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

Psalm 116 is a song of gratitude. In this psalm, the Psalmist asks this question: “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?” (v.12). Clearly, the Psalmist was very grateful for all that God had done for him. He wanted to show his gratitude by doing something for God. He wanted to repay God for His blessings. What did he do? First, the Psalmist said he “will take the cup of salvation” (v.13a). “To take” has the idea of accepting. He would accept God’s great gift of eternal salvation. God has offered mankind the gift of eternal salvation (John 3:16). Gratitude demands we do not reject the great sacrifice of the Son of God. Second, he said he will “call upon the name of the LORD” (v.13b). To call upon the name of the LORD is to worship Him. The first time the phrase “call upon the name of the LORD” appears in the Bible is in Genesis 4:26: “then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.” There, Cain’s family line is contrasted with Seth’s. Cain’s descendants grew more wicked (Genesis 4:19, 23), whereas Seth’s descendants stayed away from the corrupt society and called on the name of the LORD. Third, the Psalmist said he will pay his “vows unto the LORD in the presence of all his people” (v.14). Does the phrase, “In the presence of all his people” mean he would pay the vows which he had made publicly to God, or he would pay his vow publicly? In either case, if he had made any vow, he ought to fulfil it. The good deed that he had offered to God would be seen by others. There is a difference between “doing for others to see” and “others seeing what you are doing”. Fourthly, the Psalmist said he will be a servant of God (v.16). Gratitude moves him to serve. How can one say he is grateful to God but will not serve Him? One demonstration of gratitude to God is in serving Him. God shaped us to serve Him: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Lastly, the Psalmist says he will show his gratitude to God by offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving to Him (v.17). He could be referring to the thanksgiving sacrifice of the Old Testament (Leviticus 7:15). Today, we don’t offer the thanksgiving sacrifice specified in the Old Testament law. But certainly, we can make special gifts to God as a way of saying “thank you” to Him. Paul says we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1). It is a question we should seriously consider: “What shall I render unto the LORD for all His benefits toward me?” What does God want from us? Certainly, we can render to God more than just singing, praying, and attendances in worship. Yes, those are important, but certainly, we can render more than that. A sacrifice is something that will cost us – time, energy, and money. What have we rendered to God for all His benefits toward us? The greatest gift that we can render to God for His great love is ourselves: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). To give ourselves is to give our time, energy, and possessions to God. Are we giving our time, energy, and possessions, to God? God says in Psalm 50:23 (ESV): “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me.” God is glorified whenever saints offer their thanksgiving sacrifices. Let us render to God for all the benefits He has given to us, especially the gift of salvation. Are you rendering to God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon you?