“I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord” (Ps. 116:17).
The psalmist is portraying the gratitude of a humble servant (cf. Ps. 116:16). It is interesting that thanksgiving is identified here as a sacrifice unto God. Thanksgiving, therefore, demands that the offeror give of himself in the expressing of thanks. Hence, the heart of gratitude is being offered through the words given. The Lord would know if the heart is in the words or not (cf. Ps. 139:2). Consider three reasons from Psalm 116 why the psalmist would give a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
- Hearing of Prayers. “I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclinded his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live” (Ps. 116:1-2). A child of God is truly blessed in knowing that the Father hears His childrens’ request. Why would one pray to God if he/she did not believe that God does not hear? Mankind is often thankful for friends and family that would take the time to listen to them, especially if they believed that they had to ability to respond favorably. How much more is this true when one is reaching out to God? The New Testament declares such as well (cf. 1 Peter 3:12).
- Help from Trouble and Sorrow. “Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me” (Ps. 116:5-6). Previous to this statement, he wrote, “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow” (Ps. 116:3). Here is an indication of how much trouble his life was in when he prayed to the Lord God. If it were not for God’s help, he would have met the end of life. How much should a person who is given another day to live being freed from the ordeals of life give a sacrifice of thanksgiving? Think of those in the military who have faced active combat and lived to see more days. Think of those who have overcome diseases that could have easily taken their lives but survived. Truly, gratitude and its corresponding life should follow from such blessings. The psalmist even asked, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?” (Ps. 116:12).
- Hope even in Death. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Ps. 116:15). Life here will not exist forever (cf. Heb. 9:27). Eternal life is promised beyond this life (cf. 1 John 2:25). This psalm addresses God’s deliverance from death and yet speaks of the death of saints. One can truly give the sacrifice of thanksgiving in knowing that God is with His people, even in death. Solomon wrote, “The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death” (Prov. 14:32).
Jimmy Clark