What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.
Psalm 116:12, 17-19
The psalmist asks a great question: how can I thank God for his goodness and mercy? The psalm lists a few ways to thank God for his goodness. Here he describes financial giving as an expression of gratitude.
He says that he will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving. He will sacrifice an animal, which would have been a financial offering. He says he will “pay his vows to the Lord” in the presence of God’s people. In other words, when he is at worship, he will give. Thanks and giving go together.
Thank God today that you have resources to give back to him and to give to others. The next time you give, thank God that you get to give as an expression of gratitude.