Listen to today’s devo!

What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? (Ps. 116:12)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 116:12-19

The chorus of a popular worship song, by Brandon Lake, proclaims, “So I throw up my hands and praise you again and again, ’cause all that I have is a hallelujah, hallelujah. And I know it’s not much but I’ve nothing else fit for a King, except for a heart singing hallelujah, hallelujah.” For me, the line, “I know it’s not much,” has always stood out. Singing praise to God, even offering our lives to him, may not feel like much in light of the grandeur of God, but they are immense offerings because they are everything we have to give. God has no need for expensive gifts or luxury items more appropriate for a king. God has everything he needs. A heart singing hallelujah is the perfect gift.

The psalmist asks an important question in verse 12: “What shall I return to the Lord for all of his goodness to me?” Nothing he could offer could match what God had already given him. So what does the psalmist do? He worships. He lifts up the cup of salvation as a testimony to the goodness and protection he has received from God. As a further act of worship, he offers his life in service to the God who has given much. He doesn’t have anything else to offer except his praise and his life, which, as it turns out, is everything.

Offer your hallelujah and your life to God.

Mark Moore is an associate professor of theology at Jessup University (CA) and an associate pastor at Faith Legacy Church in Sacramento, CA.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.