Psalm 66:8-15…“I will come into your house with burnt-offerings; I will pay you my vows, those that my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.” vs. 13-14
The psalmist evidently knew a thing or two about tough times. He compares his own travails to the plight of the Israelites in Egypt and the perils of their flight from slavery. He flooded the heavens with prayers and, as humans are prone to do, promised payment if those prayers were answered. We can understand his actions. We’re likely to do exactly the same thing. Even those with minimal faith are driven by their situations to offer prayers and promises to the God they barely believe in. It’s what we do when all else fails.
And sometimes, praise God, the prayers seem to work. Miracles happen. The near dead are returned to life, and health is restored. The 1% chance of survival becomes 100% and in our joy we will even remember our vows, the ones we uttered when we were in trouble.
The psalmist headed for the temple and offered burnt-offerings, and we have similar means to offer our thanks to God. We could double up on our offerings or send a check to Lutheran Social Services of Arizona. There are a multitude of avenues for us to pay our vows, and even though none are required, it’s what humans do in response to the random goodness of life. It’s one of the ways we have to “pay it ahead,” and blessings do abound.
Thought for the Day: How do I do my thank offerings?
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