Psalm 116:12 – 14 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 fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the goodness of God? I have many times. How can you express gratitude to God? The writer of Psalm 116 gives us some help. Firstly – Love the Lord. He wrote as one who was not just grateful to God for hearing his prayers but as one who was in love with the Lord. He looked back at the many situations God had brought him through and recognized God’s compassion and protection. What about you? How old are you? Surely you did not just arrive at this point in life because you have been good or lucky. No. It is because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. “For in him we live and move and have our being.” (Read Acts 17: 24 – 28).

Secondly – Immerse yourself in the awesomeness of God’s provision of salvation. This implies that instead of somehow imagining that you can repay God, lift up your cup always to be filled and refilled by him. We do not deserve the sacrifice Christ paid and can never repay it. Just allow yourself to be overwhelmed by it. Call on the name of the Lord in every season, in every circumstance. Give praise and adoration!

Thirdly – Pay your vows. What does that mean? It’s not just about money. To me, it means that whatever the Holy Spirit instructs me to do, I do it. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Your instructions will come out of your relationship with God. If you allow yourself to be overwhelmed by his love, your gratitude will overflow “in the presence of all his people.”