Psalm 54:4-7

“With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.” vs. 6

Once the psalmist had made his request for vindication, he assumed that his prayer would be heard, and he moved immediately to promise thanksgiving in the form of a freewill sacrificial offering. He didn’t consider it enough to simply tack a “thank you, Lord” to the end of his prayer–he intended to make his response tangible and concrete. His example is a good one. While prayer is often a part of our daily lives, we normally don’t connect our petitions with a thanksgiving offering. That could be because we’re waiting to see if we get what we ask for, but more often it’s because we just don’t think of it, and besides, it’s a lot easier to ask than it is to give. What a blessing it is to get to the point in our faith walk when we begin to think of giving, not only as a duty but as a delight. Some never reach that point and will always consider giving as a burden, a kind of tax imposed by the church on believers. But when sacrificial giving becomes joyful, and we see it as a thanksgiving offering for the sheer privilege of being alive in this spectacular universe, happiness will abound. Even when our prayers aren’t answered, we’ll keep on giving, knowing in our hearts that God is always good.

Thought for the Day: When is my giving a pure delight?