A debt we can never pay off

How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Psalm 116:12-13

Have you ever found yourself saying to someone “I really don’t know how to thank you enough!”? And you meant exactly what you said. There are simply no words to express your gratitude, and the mere suggestion of some kind of financial payment is out of the question - how could you possibly put a monetary value on a kindness shown or a favour done?

Well, this is how the psalmist feels as he writes this lovely little prayer. He has been through a hard time (look back at verses 3-11), right to death’s door in fact, but God has rescued him, and he is simply glowing with gratitude. 

This is a prayer which Christians can easily take on our lips not just for some particular blessing received or prayer answered, but for the whole “salvation package” which is ours in Christ. How could we possibly recompense God for the blood of Jesus shed on the cross, for the gift of forgiveness and of eternal life, and for the resurrection life we enjoy now. Unthinkable!

And yet... the psalmist does mention a couple of things he intends to do. I think they are still relevant for us.

First, “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord”.

This is obviously poetic, metaphorical language. It can be taken in one of two ways.

On the one hand, he could be saying “I intend to drink deep of this great gift of salvation that God has given me! I intend to enjoy my relationship with God to the very full, praising him with all my heart as I go along!” If we take it this way it highlights the gospel idea of the grace of God: salvation is a gift from God, received freely from his hand, and ours to delight in.

Personally, I like this interpretation. As I look back in my life I am immensely glad that God made me his own in my teenage years, and that he has kept me through all the years since. Not only could I never repay his grace and mercy - I could never even begin to tot up all the blessings received since that “happy day that fixed my choice / On thee, my Saviour and my God”. 

But the other interpretation is also possible. By “lifting up the cup of salvation” he could mean “I am offering a sacrifice to God”, even “I’m raising a toast to God!” In this interpretation the praise element is to the fore. I want to tell God that I love him!

Of course we don’t have to choose between those two interpretations. Why not do both? Christian, live a life of revelling in the grace of God, of course; but couple it with heartfelt praise.

The second thing the psalmist intends to do is to “fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people”.

To me this suggests two vital aspects of the spiritual life.

First, obedience. Vows are serious things. They imply commitment, determination, a never-looking-back attitude: think marriage or baptismal vows. They imply that I mean business with God; as Jesus put it so clearly, that I want to “love the Lord my God with all my heart, my soul, my mind and my strength... and to love my neighbour as myself” (Mark 12:30-31). So far we’ve focussed on the joyful aspect of walking with God. This now helps to sober us up if we are tempted to get a little over-excited. Don’t dabble with this Christian life.

Is it time some us renewed our vows to God?

Second, it reminds us of the public nature of being a Christian; the psalmist says he will fulfil his vows “in the presence of all God’s people”. To be a Christian is a wonderfully personal thing. But God forbid that we should ever let it become a purely private thing. Jesus tells us that we are to be unashamed of him as we go through life (Mark 8:38). No, we are not to ram our faith down people’s throats, of course not; but equally we are not to miss any opportunity to make Christ known, as long as we do it in a humble and gracious way. Call it what you like - witness, evangelism, testimony - but public declaration is vital.

Is it time some of us “went public” with our faith?

I invite you to slowly read Psalm116, and to make whatever applications may be especially relevant for you.

Lord God, help me day by day to enjoy you, to trust you, to praise you and to obey you - and always to be open and unashamed about my faith in Jesus. Amen.