What can we do to benefit God? Can we give him anything at all that is not already his? This is an age-old question. On the surface of it, it seems rather simple. But the truth which the answer to it encapsulates is profound, and profoundly important. Among others in the ancient world, the psalmist asked this penetrating query long before we did. In response to his meditations, in Psalm 50 the Lord explained to his people that their sacrifices were not meant to feed him or provide him with sustenance in any way. He said, “Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains; and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof” (vv. 10-12).

Offering of animal sacrifices was evidently considered by some of the psalmist’s contemporaries to be a method of providing God with his necessary upkeep and sustenance. God was seen by them as needing to be fed like one would feed his pet animal. This was a rather foolish view to take in regard to deity. But it has the benefit of granting to man a certain amount of power over God. Certainly this notion was embraced by many of their idolatrous friends, for evidence of it is widespread in the myths and legends of the ancient Near Eastern world at the time.

But the God of Israel was different from these pagan deities. He was not dependent on his people to provide him with food to fill his belly. The God of Israel was self-sufficient and independent of what any human being could give him. He was a spiritual being (John 4:24 “God is a spirit”) rather than a being of earth, encumbered by the various limitations and restrictions of physicality. Gold and silver would not personally enrich him, because he was already the owner of everything. Nothing that man could do for him would make him the better, or fail to do for him would ever make him the worse off for the lack of it. That made for an interesting conundrum in the relationship between God and his people, leaving them to wonder about a good number of things.

All of this being so, the question of how the Lord’s people would be able to benefit him was a rather natural one to ask. It is a bit like the child who has a father who is rich beyond imagining who wishes to get his father a present for a special occasion. What can he get him that he does not already have, or could not buy in such abundance or great superfluity that the little one would not be embarrassed at the inadequacy of it? What can you give someone who already has everything?

The answer in a case like this might surprise you. The one thing such a parent might enjoy more than anything else in the world is something that money cannot buy. In fact, it might possess no real monetary value at all. After all, what is the monetary value of a hug or a kiss? Precisely zero. And yet we all know them to be priceless in just the right circumstance!

We have all seen the truth of it with our own eyes. Have we not seen the crayon-colored sheets written by little children that hang on refrigerator doors, scribbled upon with barely legible ciphers that read, “Daddy, I love you,” or “Thank you Mommy,” or some such simple message as this? Who would say that these simple momentos of life are less valuable than a $5 Hallmark card purchased at a store, or a present worth $50 or more? No parent or grandparent, I can assure you! A loving hug around the neck from a tiny one who whispers, “I love you,” is worth more than all the gold in Fort Knox! A kiss on the cheek is like money in the bank!

Hence, God expressed to his people a similar thought in this regard. He told his people this:

Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving; and pay your vows to the Most High; And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me (Psalm 50:14, 15).

God knew that his people could never reimburse him for all of his favors; even the richest of them were not rich enough to do so. And yet, he had no desire for reimbursement. But what he did expect was rather simple, and well within their ability to give him. What was it? In a word, appreciation. He did hope that they would manifest to him that his love had not been shown to them without notice, and that his many gifts showered upon them had gone unappreciated. So, here are the main points of his appeal to his people in the days of the first testament, and they are well worth our knowing them for our own time as well:

1. Offer to God the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving. As parents we all tell our children to say, “Thank you” when they have been given something nice. To be unwilling to do so, or to refuse to do so, is evidence of bad raising because it is indicative of ingratitude. God wants his people to be grateful for all that he has done for them as well. In Colossians 3:15 Paul said, “And be ye thankful.” Nothing could be simpler, and still it is the missing ingredient in a great many relationships. Many husbands never tell their wives how much they appreciate all that they do for them. Many wives fail in this regard also. Children frequently float through life expecting that their parents will give them everything, and feeling that it is their duty to do so. In fact, it is not. Parents are responsible for far less than is given to most children, still too few of their offspring ever show any real appreciation at all for the sacrifices of their parents. In monetary terms it has been shown that it will cost parents around $250,000 to raise a single child to maturity. That is frightening, but it does give us something to hang our hats on when it comes to the monetary cost of raising children. But of course, every parent will be well aware that this is only one of the many costs of child rearing!

So it is with God also. He benefits us in a thousand ways every day that we do not see and perhaps also in ways that we will never come fully to understand. To his people, therefore, the Lord says, “Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving.” Be grateful. It is fitting and appropriate. Do not neglect to give God thanks for his many benefits.

2. Pay your Vows to the Most High. “Vows” are promises that have been made to God. Men throughout history have made such commitments of time, talent, or money to the Lord. Far too few of us have kept our promises, however. We make such promises in times of stress or danger, but then forget them when the stress and danger has passed. In Numbers 30:2 the Lord set forth his view of such things. It is clear than he means for us to do just as we have promised. “If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or binds himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” Psalm 76:11 says, “Make your vows to the Lord your God, and then perform them.” The wise man also said, “When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it. Pay what you vow. For it is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay” (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5).

If you make a promise to God, then do what you have promised. Otherwise, avoid making such promises in the first place. When you borrow money from the bank, you must sign a document that commits you to repay what you have borrowed. Most people keep their promises to the banks. But too many of us fail in this regard when it comes to what we have promised God. When you were baptized into Christ, you promised a life of service to God. Keep that promise!

3. Call on the Lord in the Day of Trouble. This is a very beautiful sentiment. Do not miss the import of it. God wants his people to depend upon him and look to him for help when times are hard or circumstances are unpredictable or even frightening. God is a Father who wants his children to ask him for his help. He is not neglectful or unconcerned. This is very important to understand. We have all, at one time or another, approached someone who was too busy or else did not care about us enough to give us the time or the consideration that we needed precisely at that moment. We have felt frustrated or even angry at this person at the time. And for good reason. To us it was the most important thing in the whole world, and yet to them it was not worth even a moment of their time. Distracted with other things, or else too self-engrossed to make time for us, they disappointed us. God is not that way. In fact, he is exactly the opposite. Let me enumerate.

In this case, our writer explains, the tables are turned around. God is saying to his people that he wants them to ask him for help when they need it. He does not want them to be aggravated, or fretted or worried, and he certainly does not want them going elsewhere or to someone else looking for help. He wants his children to come to him and him alone. He always has time for them and is never too busy for them. They always have his ear. They always have his fullest attention. He will always come through for them. But only if they ask him. Only if they come to him.

4. I will Deliver You; and You Shall Glorify Me. The writer of this psalm assumes a happy ending to this story. The child who comes to his heavenly Father for help will never be put off or shoved aside or delayed. He will be attended to with immediacy. No matter how often or how carelessly we may have been treated in the past by human helpers, “I will deliver you,” says God. God emphasizes that he will hear the appeals and come to the aid of his beloved children. But he expects something in return. He expects that his children will remember him when the crisis is passed and the trouble is over.

“And you shall glorify me,” the Lord says. In other words, you will know that I have answered your prayer and responded to your request, and then you will give me the credit for what I have done on your behalf. You will not forget me or neglect me after I have helped you. Now, what is the monetary value of that? I suppose that we might say that it is probably zero. But what is it worth to God? Everything! It is precisely the same thing as those quiet words whispered in a Father’s ear by a son or daughter who could not ever give their parent anything comparable to what he has done for them: “Thank you, Daddy, I love you.” Nothing more is needed or necessary.