Responding To Grace

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.  I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.  Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.  O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.  I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

Psalm 116:12-17

How shall we respond to the grace of God as Christ has demonstrated it to us? If someone has done the smallest thing for us, showed us kindness, sacrificed for us, or demonstrated grace toward us we respond with gratitude.  We communicate to them by word and deed, the appreciation that we have for them, and even look to return their kindness in some tangible way.  Common courtesy teaches us this.  How then shall we demonstrate our gratitude to Christ for all He has done for us?  The psalmist who wrote our text for today points us in the right direction.  He starts with the simple things.  He says in response to his own question, ‘I will take the cup of salvation.’  We can only demonstrate our appreciation for the Person and work of Christ by embracing Him as He freely offers Himself unto us in the Gospel.  All true relationships with God begin with Christ.  He is the key to our relationship with the God Who rules and reigns over all of the universe, and all of human affairs.  What we write in this little work is most often set forth for the edification of those who already have a relationship with God through Christ.  Today, we appeal to you who do not yet know Him, to begin with God, by taking the cup of salvation.

O, God of Grace and Glory,
we rejoice that You have shown us Christ,
Who is the manifestation of Your Grace.
We praise You that in coming to know Him,
we come to know You.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning