Expressions of gratitude: Proclaim, worship, fulfil
Lam Kok Hiang // April 1, 2019, 6:00 am
Photo courtesy of LoveSingapore
We are a blessed people. As we take time to reflect on and count our blessings, we will realise that while we are not shielded from life’s trials and tribulations, we can still declare with confidence that God is good.
In response to all that God had done for him, the Psalmist asked: “How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people.” (Psalm 116:12-14)
Like the Psalmist, we too can repay the Lord for His goodness to us as an expression of our gratitude to Him.
1. We proclaim His salvation.
To “lift the cup of salvation”(Psalm 116:13) is to acknowledge that God is the Author of our salvation and that He desires that all come to know Him.
As grateful recipients of His grace, we are to proclaim His salvation to the ends of the earth. Having tasted His love and goodness, we want to testify about our God to those who do not know Him yet. Perhaps you could take some time to meet with someone and share about God’s goodness in your life.
“How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.”
2. We worship Him by calling on His Name.
To “call on the name of God” is to call to mind the character of God. We know that God is known by many names which reflect His eternal attributes and character.
As we worship Him, who we profess God to be must be congruent with how we live our lives. Take some time to examine if there is any incongruence between our worship and walk with God.
3. We fulfil our vows.
As part of our discipleship and growth process, we make vows and commitments to God. Are there any vows or commitments you have made to God that are yet to be fulfilled?
Perhaps the busyness and distractions of life have buried those vows somewhere, but the inner wrestling between the heart and the Spirit gives no peace. Or are some of those vows “conditional” in nature?
God has fulfilled His part, and is waiting for you to fulfil yours. The wise man in Ecclesiastes 5 warns us not to delay fulfilling our vows to God (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5).
Our repayment to God must be rooted in our heartfelt gratitude to Him for all His goodness and what He has done for us. Our God does not need us to repay Him to feel good about Himself. We can, however, offer the above as an act of true worship.
This was written for Cru Singapore and is republished with permission. You can find more devotionals on the Cru Singapore blog.
Reflection and Discussion
- Read Psalm 145; Give thanks for God’s blessings in your life (Psalm 145:6).
- Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you someone whom you can share the gospel with (Psalm 145:18).
- Do you have any unfulfilled commitments to the Lord?
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