When we read the psalms quickly, we pick up little nuggets of truth, but when we slow down and linger long over the words, we catch words and phrases that root in our souls, such as those in Psalm 116:17: I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Here at the end of a psalm about calling upon the Lord as long as we live, of expressing our love to Him, we read that thanksgiving isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to be a sacrifice. Dig deeper into the cost of thanksgiving in Leviticus 7:11-15, Psalm 50:14-15 and 23, Jonah 2:9, and Hebrews 13:15-16. As we read Psalm 116, we can ask:
- What do I learn about the character of God from this psalm?
- What is the attitude of my heart as I move through daily life?
- Am I pausing with heart humbled before the Lord to thank Him for the blessings and for the storylines that are far from comfortable or enjoyable?
- Am I living generous, pouring out my heart to my Father who loves me?
- Or am I withholding my thanksgiving because life is hard and far from picture perfect?