What Shall I Render to the Lord?

Introduction

I am reminded of a particular episode of the Andy Griffith show. In this show, Andy, Aunt Bea, and another are eating white beans prepared by Aunt Bea. She is praised by the guest, and at the same time, Andy doesn’t say a whole lot. So she’s a little put off by Andy and asks him, don’t you like the food. To which Andy replies, I ate 4 bowls, and if that ain’t a tribute to white beans, I don’t know what is.

The point he attempts to refer to is that there is a lot more than just saying and expressing your appreciation and gratitude.

We have been on the other side, haven’t we? WE have been given a gift, and have not wanted that gift, and have had to say, Thank You, not meaning it with total sincerity.

Speaking praise, speaking gratitude is important. And we will see that in a moment. But, often gratitude is expressed in more ways than just words.

And so, the psalmist asks a legitimate question.

Psalm 116:12 ESV

What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me?

If you want, how can I repay the Lord for all His benefits toward me. What can I give back to the Lord for all that He has given to me?

Andre Crouch, the great song writer asked the same question in his song, My Tribute

How can I say thanks For the things You have done for me? Things so undeserved Yet You gave to prove Your love for me; The voices of a million angels Could not express my gratitude All that I am and ever hope to be I owe it all to Thee

The answer, which we will get to is this. The best way to give back, to pay back to the Lord is to partake and enjoy and appreciate the good things He has given to you.

I. The expression of praise by the Psalmist. v.1-8

Look at verse 1. I Love the Lord! I just have to start by saying these words. I Love Him. My heart is full of gratitude, it’s full of praise, I can not help but singing his praises. I love the Lord.

He sits down and begins to write his thoughts, and immediately can’t help but exclaim these words.

Why doe he love the Lord?

A. God has Listened to Him. v.1-2

Psalm 116:1–2 ESV

I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

A reason to love God. God has listened to him. God has heard his prayers, his pleas for mercy. In fact, God has inclined his ears to him.

We live in a time and age where people don’t listen to each other. We scream, we argue, we post screeds and rants without taking the time to listen, to digest the words of the person who is speaking to us.

And we often feel like we are not being listened to. But that is not the case with God. God hears us, God has heard our prayers, God has listened to our voices as we cry out to him. Because he has been gracious to me, and has heard my prayers. This is a good reason for serving God, or for devoting ourselves to him, but it is not the only reason. We ought to worship and serve God whether he hears our prayers or not; whether he sends joy or sorrow; whether we are favoured with prosperity, or are sunk in deep affliction. Men have worshipped God even when they have had no evidence that he heard their prayers; and some of the most pure acts of devotion on earth are those which come from the very depths of darkness and sorrow.

But it’s not just that God has heard him, also

B. God has Lifted Him. v.3-7

Psalm 116:3–4 ESV

The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

Psalm 116:6 ESV

The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.

The Psalmist speaks of a time where he finds himself close to death. He found himself in the pains of Sheol, he finds himself in a very low, very small place. And what does he do? He calls upon the Lord, and God lifts him up out of his low place.

C.H. Spurgeon said it this way. There are many ways in which the child of God may be brought low, but the help of God is as various as the need of his people: he supplies our necessities when impoverished, restores our character when maligned, raises up friends for us when deserted, comforts us when desponding, and heals our diseases when we are sick. There are thousands in the church of God at this time who can each one of them say for himself, "I was brought low, and he helped me." Whenever this can be said it should be said to the praise of the glory of his grace, and for the comforting of others who may pass through the like ordeal

C. God has Liberated Him. v.8-9

Psalm 116:8–9 ESV

For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

WE are not told of the situation, of the problem that has plagued our psalmist, but we know it was devastating. We know it was painful, and yet, God frees him. God delivers him. God, in his mercy and grace reaches down to him and sets him free.

Jesus returns to the town of Nazareth after his temptation and enters the temple. He is given the chance to read the Scriptures and reads from Isaiah.

Luke 4:18–19 ESV

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

To proclaim liberty to the captive. To set at liberty the oppressed. This is what the Lord has done, this is what the Lord promises to do to all who call upon His name. He will bring freedom, He will liberate.

The psalmist expresses praise because God has listened, God has lifted, and God has liberated. And so, the expression of praise, and then

II. The question of repayment by the Psalmist. v.12

This brings us to verse 12 in our psalm. God has liberated, God has lifted, God has listened. What can I do? How can I, in the words of Andre Crouch, say thanks for the things he has done for me?

Psalm 116:12 ESV

What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me?

We’ve done that. I can’t thank you enough. I can’t possibly express my appreciation. I am truly humbled by your kindness and goodness extended to me.

But the answer the psalmist gives is truly extraordinary.

Psalm 116:13 ESV

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord,

In other words, the psalmist expresses his gratitude by simply partaking of the goodness of God in His life. How do I express my gratitude? How do I possibly repay the Lord? I repay him by taking and drinking the cup of salvation. The cup of salvation is his good gift to us, and the way we can repay him is by simply enjoying and partaking of this gift.

The cup is an item of significance in the Scriptures. It’s often used as a sign of judgment.

Revelation 14:9–10 ESV

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

But not here. Here is a sign of goodness, of blessing, of an overflowing measure of the goodness of God.

so, the first way to repay the Lord is to

A. By partaking of His gift. v.13

Simply heeding the offer of the Lord to us.

Isaiah 55:1–2 ESV

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

If you have not accepted Christ as your Savior, today is that day. Now is that time. This is the moment to affirm your faith in him and receive the blessings he has prepared for you.

We repay the Lord by participating in his salvation, and then by honoring him with our lives,

B. By fulfilling our vows to Him. v.14

Look at verse 14, and repeated in verse 18

Psalm 116:14 ESV

I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

Again, we have found ourselves with a gift that sits on our shelves and does nothing. Or a gift that we stand in line for on Dec. 26 to exchange because we won’t use it. No doubt you will be asked, if you haven’t been already, would you like a gift receipt, meaning there is a chance your gift won’t be liked or appreciated.

A great way to honor the gift giver is by using the gift you have been given. Using the life span of the gift, and honoring the giver with the gift you have been given. And the psalmist says, I will repay you by fulfilling my vows.

Is it any wonder that verse 15 fits in right here?

Psalm 116:15 ESV

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

What is he saying other than the idea that a loved one who comes to the end of their life, a life well lived, shows the beauty of expressing one’s gratitude to the Lord by living their life for his glory.

The Westminster Confession of faith, most notably used in reformed and Presbyterian churches state this.

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, [a] and to enjoy him for ever.

We repay the Lord by partaking of his gift, by fulfilling our vows, and by expressing our gratitude.

C. By Expressing our gratitude. v.17

WE can not leave this without remarking on verse 17.

Psalm 116:17 ESV

I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.

Aunt Bea is not entirely without merit in the opening illustration. Yes, eating 4 bowls of white beans speaks volumes. It’s better than the sample size you used to get at Sam’s Club pre covid days.

But still, we are humans and we like to hear the verbal expression of gratitude. Gary Chapman was not wrong when he speaks of words of affirmation being a love language.

That’s why Hebrews tells us,

Hebrews 13:15 ESV

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

Conclusion

In Budapest, a man goes to the rabbi and complains, "Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one room. What can I do?" 

The rabbi answers, "Take your goat into the room with you."  The man in incredulous, but the rabbi insists. "Do as I say and come back in a week." 

A week later the man comes back looking more distraught than before.  "We cannot stand it," he tells the rabbi. "The goat is filthy." 

The rabbi then tells him, "Go home and let the goat out. And come back in a week." 

A radiant man returns to the rabbi a week later, exclaiming, "Life is beautiful. We enjoy every minute of it now that there's no goat -- only the nine of us." 

George Mikes, How to be Decadent, Andre Deutsch, London.