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Verse:What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me? —Psalm 116:12
The Bible asks some searching questions.
One such question is this one found in Psalms: after all that God has done for us, how should we respond to Him? We can give offerings, we can share God’s love by witnessing to others, we can do mission service, or we could dedicate our talents to God. We could do any or all of those things and yet still be in danger of missing the key point of David’s question. The first thing God wants from you is your heart. Better put, God wants your life. And once He has that, He has everything. Micah 6:8 says, He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Recognizing what really matters, David wrote in Psalm 51:16, “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.” Religious activities without a clean heart and right spirit are meaningless. David continued, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite heart —these, O God, you will not despise” (verse 17).
A husband who wants to express love for his wife could build her a mansion or shower her with gifts, but if he can’t treat her with respect and show her love, then his gifts would mean nothing. What should we do in light of the Cross? In light of God’s constant care and provision? Let Him have your heart today.
And if you’re unsure how to give your heart to God, simply ask Him to take it and make it His own. He will. And then, as your life increasingly becomes the possession of Jesus, He will direct your life more and more in the path that He wants you to go. Faith in God is an experience of growing in God’s grace.
If God does not have your heart, your experience can never be truly enjoyable. If God has your heart, everything else will follow.