What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?
I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.
Psalm 116:12-13 (KJV)
By asking the question, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?” the author is not waiting for someone else to respond. He did it himself in verse 13. Which means he already knows the answer. To express his gratitude to the Lord, the author explains what he will do to achieve this. He will first lift up the cup of salvation (or deliverance), then he will call on the name of the Lord.
This is the only passage in the Old Testament where we see the expression "The cup of salvation." Taking the cup refers to the communion or thanksgiving sacrifice in which God was publicly thanked for the deliverances He granted to His people. In this context, it symbolizes the protection and favor of God. By invoking, the author means that he will proclaim and celebrate the name of the Lord before His people. He also specifies it in verse 14.
To summarize, I will say that the author wants to express two important things, his gratitude and his thankfulness to God. Both can mean the same thing but some times they can be used differently. Gratitude can mean proclaiming the glory of God, what He has done for us, and thankfulness can mean bringing a freewill offering to God as your heart directs, as a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Considering all that God has done for you, when was the last time you took the time to express your gratitude to Him and offer sacrifices of thanksgiving as a sign of thankfulness?
May the grace and the peace of God be with you all.
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