What Shall I Render To The Lord

Today, from Psalm 116 we will learn how to be grateful and reflect on the question: "What shall I render to the Lord?"

This is the question of David's self-examination, as mentioned in Psalm 116:12, What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I believe that such self-questioning is pleasing to God.

Why did David ask this question? It’s because the benefits that he received from the Lord, as mentioned in verses 1-11.

In verse 1 he said, I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.

Look at the word "because”. It tells us that man needs reason to love others. One day, in the couple camp held by the church, we played a game, one of the questions we asked them was: Tell us at least one reason why you married your spouse, their responses vary. Some said because she is beautiful, he/she is brave, successful, responsible, etc. But there was a brother who answered very well. He said, I married my wife because I love her. At that time, we deliberately asked him why you love her. His answer was I don’t think we need any reasons to love. That’s a great answer!

If you love your spouse because of something, and if those things are gone, will you still love him/her? Our love for God should not be because of something, but God has mercy on us. He knows that we have no ability to love him, just as 1 John 4:19 said: We love Him because He first loved us.

The same is true for the psalmist. He loves the Lord because he appreciates the grace and benefit of the Lord. The psalmist said: I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. I often remind myself of the following question: if God does not listen to my prayer, will I still love Him?

We believe our God is a merciful God, he will answer a prayer that pleases Him, He hears the prayer of the psalmist. This is not an ordinary prayer. It is a prayer under a very special situation. Verse 3 says: The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me. I found trouble and sorrow. He was on the verge of death, praying in a very painful situation, and he seemed to be close to the grave.

The second sentence of verse 3 says: And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me. He seems to have been close to hell/Sheol. Hell is where the dead go, as if the pain of facing death has seized him. This is a very, very uncomfortable situation. He expresses his feelings in terms of the fear of hell's gates.

The third sentence of verse 3 says: I found trouble and sorrow. Dear brothers and sisters, we can imagine the situation of the psalmist at that time. Sometimes we experienced hardships. And it seems like no one can understand us. No one can understand us, we can only come to God.

Just as what the Psalmist did, he experienced difficult times and in verse 4 he said: Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!” And God heard his prayers.

Therefore, the following verses describe his gratitude and praise to God: Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

And for this reason, the psalmist asked himself, what shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?

Brothers and sisters, have you ever thought about the grace you receive from God? What is that? What shall we render to the Lord for all of His benefits toward us? Let’s learn from the psalmist, he repeatedly refers to "I will" in verses 13-19

13 I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. 14 I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people. 17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

First, he said in verse 13: " I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. He will take up the cup of salvation, which is to proclaim to the world all the works of the Lord on him. He will also praise the name of the Lord, including the attributes of the Lord: "Graceful, righteous, and compassionate."