What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? Psalm 116:12
When someone does something extremely good for someone else, the person that received the good act sometimes wants to return the favor. Sometimes they want to return the favor out of gratefulness. More often they feel an obligation to return the favor.
However, there are also many people who just accept the favor and continue on with life. They do not even attempt to return the favor. They just accept it as though they had already earned the favor.
It is common to hear people feel as though they deserved all the goodness that they are receiving. They expect others to give them favor and what they need and want.
The write of this psalm recognized that God had given him a lot of goodness. He know is asking what he can do for God to return the goodness and favor.
Believers should not be looking at themselves as the world does, thinking that they deserve all of God’s goodness and favor. No one deserves anything good from God. Sin only brings on punishment and death, nothing good.
Yet, despite the sin and what a person deserves, God pours out His love and goodness upon the believer. He is quick to forgive and remove all sins. He is right there to guide and help a person walk through this life.
No matter what a believer does, there is no way He can fully pay the price of his salvation. Yet, the believer can give back to the Lord a partial payment for His goodness.
Believers can give his life to the work of God. He can be and do what God has called him to be and do. Instead of just taking advantage of what God has done, the believer can use it for God’s glory.
Stop and think about all that God has already done for you. This can be overwhelming when you really think about it.
How are you repaying God for what He has done?
Take a moment to think about how you can serve God and be His witness. Think about how you can turn away from all sin and walk in His ways. Think about how you can pass the goodness God has given you on to others.
These are just a few ways you can repay God for His goodness, not to earn it, but out of gratefulness for what He has done for you. All God wants from you is your whole heart and life.
I pray today that you will know what God has done for you; that you will be grateful for what God has done; that you will give your whole heart and life to God; and that you will share with others what God has done for you.
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