Psalm 66:13

Psalm 66:13

I will fulfil my vows to you

If we are in need, we should pray. If God delivers us, we should give thanks. Both responses should be automatic as we learn to walk with our Lord. Children do it, if they are in trouble they go to mum and dad or an adult and ask for help. If their problem is resolved. most should be able to say, “Thank you.” We learned from Psalm 50:14 that the “Thank Offering” (also called the Fellowship Offering) was a voluntary offering that anyone could present to the Lord. You can read in detail about this in Leviticus 3 and 7. The offeror could bring any animal without defect to the Lord as well as various breads. These were brought to the Temple as an act of thanksgiving and fellowship. Part of the offering was to God, part to the priests, the rest was for the offeror who would take his share home for a communal meal. It was for this very event that the Israelites bred what was called the “fatted calf.” 

Many people make solemn promises to God when things are going badly. “If you deliver me from this sickness, I will faithfully serve you and tell everyone about you.” Such vows are seldom kept. Here in the Psalm the writer is telling us that he does not intend to break his promises to God. He will fulfil his vows, and to prove it he will go to the temple and make his offering. Let’s be equally vigilant whenever we promise anything to the Lord, it is better to say nothing than to make promises to Him that will never be kept!

 

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