“What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” ~ Psalm 116:12
REFERENCE:
The first half of the year ends in a few days. God has done a lot in these six months, which is why you are still standing; His grace has brought you this far. He answered prayers, gave babies, healed sicknesses, protected, delivered from trouble and pain, showed mercy, gave jobs, etc. David must have considered all God did for him and knew he must acknowledge them. Hence he asked, “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me?”
If God has kept you till today, wisdom demands that you acknowledge it. The challenge is that we often need to remember. Two days ago, while praying, I decided to write what God has done in the last six months; I was humbled and felt convicted because until then, I struggled to find tangible reasons to thank God. However, I had exhausted a page by the time I finished writing. Find time this week to chronicle what God has done. David must have done the same to note God’s benefits.
Three things stand out from what David said, forming the basis for practical Thanksgiving.
1. All His Benefits: We must all do this arithmetic: count His benefits in the past months. Your benefits are peculiar to you, so itemize them. God hates partial obedience, the same as partial gratitude. Forget not His benefits. Do not fall into the trap of complaining about what you prayed for that did not happen; think of what you didn’t pray for that God did.
2. What Shall I? Thanksgiving is a “Personal Matter.” What God did for you was unique to you. You should ask Him, “How should I thank You.” “What (or how) shall I (Rachael, Mary, John, Joseph) render? Gratitude is not mass-produced; each person’s gratitude must reflect the quality of what God did for them. You must be creative and inventive in thanking God.
3. Render: God has put no price on His benefits, or else we would not be able to pay. The only payment He wants is Thanksgiving. Nothing we give to God will equal His benefits. Still, the spirit of gratitude says, ‘render something acceptable that God would be pleased with as the response of a grateful heart. The Bible says, “Give Him the glory DUE His name!”
‘What shall I render?’ is a question you should answer this week. Use the rest of the month to thank God for His benefits because what you are thankful for gets multiplied. David said, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving.” Thanksgiving opens gates; use it to open the gates to the year’s second half. Find someone to tell what God has done for you. If not, having written them, create your party; play a gospel song, render quality praise, and dance to God.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
Psalm 40:5, I Corinthians 3:9, and Psalm 92:1-2
TO DO:
List out what God has done for you so far in the year. Share with a friend, or family member, in your small group, or with your church family. Nothing God does is insignificant; all His works are miracles of mercy. So, render quality praise to God for all He has done for you.
