Render“What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?” Psalms 116:12
When I hear the word, “render”, I think of an old TV show where Andy Griffith is speaking of someone singing a song and he says, “Start rendering.” Other than this example, I can’t recall ever hearing the word used except for in the Bible. The most common Biblical example which comes to mind is found in the gospels. “And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly: Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no? But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar’s. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.” (Luke 20:20-25) Jesus taught that we are to pay our taxes and we are also to give our tithes and offerings to God. We can render thanks to God. “For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;” (I Thessalonians 3:9) In Psalms 56:12 we are shown that we can also render praise to God. “…I will render praises unto thee.” In these verses we see that to render is to give that which is due. I don’t know about you, but I could never render to God all that is due Him. He gave His only begotten Son to die and save me from eternal separation and torment in hell. He gives me the air that I breathe and ability to move about and live each day. He supplies all my needs and gives me many of my heart’s desires. Just thinking about it makes me realize how far behind I am in rendering to God those things which He so righteously deserves.