Psalm 116:17

I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the Lord.

Psalm 116:17

This psalm is one of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord for what He has done in the psalmist’s life.  Death had its grip on him, but he called upon the name of the Lord for deliverance. The Lord heard his prayers and by His grace and mercy delivered the psalmist. Now in response, the psalmist acknowledges the lordship of God in his life and offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving (Leviticus 7:12). The thanksgiving offering was a type of peace offering and was offered voluntarily. The picture here is an overwhelming joyous response to what the Lord has done in the psalmist’s life. He responds with the lawful old testament way to approach and honor God for what He has done.

Our Christian walk follows the same illustration. We were once dead in our sin (Ephesians 2:1), but we repented and called on the name of Jesus and were saved (Romans 10:13). In our thankfulness, we can present an offering to God, but it does not involve an outward act that requires us to go to the temple as in the times of the old covenant. Instead, our sacrifice is in terms of our inward self, our heart. We are to present ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), and we are to deny ourselves in order that the Lord reigns in all areas of our lives (Luke 9:23). It is not an easy path, and it puts us at odds with the world, but it is our reasonable service in the light of the price Jesus paid for us on the cross. Lord, may we be living sacrifices, ever thankful for the new life that we have in Jesus.

Pastor Jeff Mericle