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What Shall I Return To the Lord For All His Goodness?
(Ps116:1-19)
God is gracious.
Grace comes from Him and
He overflows the thanksgiving of those who give thanks for His grace.
Faith is knowing all things as His grace and longing to repay Him, and
The life of this faith is about giving thanks and expressing it regardless of one's circumstance.
While some people may passively express their thanksgiving compared to others
Showing no response or even being ungrateful for the benefits from gifts, rescue, sacrifice etc would
Keep them from receiving benefit from anyone again.
Rather than being content with what God gave him (Ge2:16),
Adam was deceived by the devil and ate the forbidden fruit, for which he was banished (Ge3:3-6, 23)
Destined to live under the curse and head to hell with the devil (Ge3:17; Mt25:41).
When his offering was not received by God
Cain became angry and killed his own brother whose offering was received, and
It was because he misunderstood the true meaning of thanksgiving (Ge4:3-8; He11:4).
God instructed the Israelites the regulation for thank offering (Lev7:12) for
It was about time for them to gather the crops of the land which they had inherited (Lev23:39) for
They had been rescued from the death of every firstborn, delivered from the slavery in Egypt,
Crossed the sea like dry land, and passed through the desert for 40 years.
The sanctuary where the name Jehovah was
Reminded them all the reasons to be thankful for,
Such as receiving the Law, being saved from the hands of their enemies,
Becoming God's people, their God being the God of all gods and
For His holy name etc (Ps118:23, 136:1-26).
Yeshua said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days" (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would become the perfect and eternal thank offering
Not in the name Jehovah but the name Yeshua,
Through the work of not the hand of God (Ps8:3, 138:7) but
The Son of God Himself with His body (Is53:5; 1Pe2:24) for
He is the incarnate Word in the beginning, grace upon grace (Jn1:1, 14, 16).
As He died, He said, "It is finished" (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) As His life was ebbing away gave it as the perfect thank offering to the gracious Father (Jn2:7; He1:2);
2) Judged the ungrateful devil (Is14:12-15; Eze28:12-17); and
3) Sprinkled His redeeming blood on souls as His grace (Eph1:7).
He resurrected and sat on the heavenly throne as the Lamb of God who was slain (Rev5:6) and
Gives thanks to the Father forever for raising Him among the dead and also
Forever receives thanks from those who by His grace came to life (Rev11:17).
The Holy Spirit comes to those who received God's grace in Christ Yeshua (1Co1:4) and
Let them overflow with thanksgiving from deep within their souls (1Co2:12) for
What the only begotten Son suffered in His flesh (Is53:5; 2Co8:9),
The forgiveness of sin (Lk7:47), the gift of the Holy Spirit (Ac2:38),
The hope of resurrection, the name Yeshua etc, that is,
Grace upon grace, thanksgiving upon thanksgiving (Jn1:16).
The Christian, therefore, whatever test may come his way (2Co4:8-9)
Does not lose thanksgiving for
He is forever thankful for the fact that Yeshua is his God, his Lord (Jn20:28),
His King and his Father for
He longs to enter the gates of heaven with thanksgiving in that day (Ps100).
O Lord,
Some say You are just a man but
I know You are my God, my Lord, my King and my Father!
I will always thank You and shout Your name in all the earth.
Thank you, Yeshua! Amen.