Fulfilling Our Vows To The Lord

O LORD, I am your servant;

yes, I am your servant, born into your household;

you have freed me from my chains.

I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving

and call on the name of the LORD.

I will fulfill my vows to the LORD

in the presence of all his people—

in the house of the LORD

in the heart of Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD!

Psalm 116:16-19

Today, we don’t hear too much about slavery except in a few places like Sudan. But in ancient times, a debt could cause a person to be sold into slavery. The author of this prayer compared his spiritual walk with God to being liberated from the cruelty of slavery. He responded to God by offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving. He expressed his joy by vowing to call on his Deliverer at all times, and by vowing to keep his promises to God. He honored the Lord for the great gift he had received. In a similar way, God wants us to honor him for our great gift of salvation by offering our lives to him as living sacrifices.

Thank God for saving you from your sin and commit yourself to follow him every day.

• Dear Lord, I will fulfill my vows to you in the presence of all your people . . .