Psalm 50:14

Psalm 50:14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High,

Although part of a larger context, this verse tells me to offer thank offerings to God and to fulfill my vows to Him. Other translations insert the word "and" before fulfill.

As I read this verse in the NIV, I get the meaning that I am under vow to God to thank Him. When did I place myself in a vow of thanksgiving to God? Not being one to offer "bargains" when I plead for blessing, I don't remember having made a vow of thanksgiving to God.

But God remembers! The very fact that I am in relationship with Him places me under vow to Him. When He offered me salvation and eternal life in Jesus Christ, entering into a promise of eternal relationship with me, I agreed by acknowledging this same Christ as Lord and Savior of my heart.

As my Savior, my Lord, my source of life, blessing, and all that is good, I have entered into a legally binding, covenant relationship with God the Father. By agreeing to such a binding relationship with my creator God, I have implicitly taken a vow of eternal thanksgiving to Him, He being who He is, and I being the mere recipient of all that is fine, lovely, wholesome, and good.

I am under vow to my Savior to thank Him at all times, whether hard-pressed or no, whether feeling fine, or feeling quite sick, whether all is going well, or nothing is going well. God does not require much of me; but His word says that I must thank Him.

The saddest thing of all is that I must be reminded to thank Him. But the happiest thing of all is that He does remind me, because thanksgiving and praise of the Most High is a good, bright, and inherently cheerful thing to be doing! Thanking God for who He is is good medicine for my soul!

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Thank-You, Father, for this verse of scripture which has stuck in my heart and refused to budge until I have given it its proper due. I love You, Lord. Please forgive me for being so ungrateful, as though You needed to twist my arm to tell You, "I love You." Thank-You, Lord, for all You are to me--everything!! Forgive me for having other gods before You. I look forward to being in heaven with You, when You will have my full, undiluted, unpolluted, joyful, thanksgiving and praise forever and ever. Thank-You my gracious, kind and loving Lord for loving me. In Thee, Amen.