Forget Not All HIS Benefits

(Message: Pastor Philip Joseph. Hope I haven’t missed much. Happy reading!)

The end of the year is a good time to pause, reflect, consider and take stock of the happenings in our lives throughout the year and see what the Lord has done. As the hymn-writer exclaims:

Count your blessings name them one-by-one;

Count your blessings, see what God has done.

Count your blessing; name them one-by-one

And it will surprise you, what the Lord has done!

As we near the end of another year (2010), I am reminded of a Psalm that says:

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

When we remember God’s goodness toward us, our hearts are filled with gratitude and praise. The Psalmist is reminding himself to-‘Bless the Lord’ {‘Praise the Lord’ | ‘Thank the Lord’}-for all of His benefits. He then goes on to list and describe five benefits that we have received from the Lord. Today, I want to share with you from this Psalm and the five benefits each one of us have received from the Lord.

1. He Forgives All Your Iniquities (Psalm 103: 3)

The Psalmist continues: He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. (Psalm 103: 10). As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12).

It was our sins that had separated us from God, the Father. And He made a way for reconciliation- by separating our transgressions from us. If you stand up in the east, you cannot see the west-that’s how far God has removed our sins!

God is faithful. He forgives ALL our iniquities; even the ‘big’ sins along with ‘small’ sins. Proverbs 28:13 says: He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. 1 John 1:9 says: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We have a choice: to either conceal sins or to confess sins, before Him who judges righteously. When we confess our sins to Him, we can be sure of forgiveness and His cleansing-because the price has been paid by Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son. God is faithful to forgive; and just to justify us in Christ! Afterward, we do not depend on our feelings of guilt or shame, but walk in the newness of light. And if we walk in the light, as He is in the light…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1: 7).

God has made a way! The work-in of our salvation is finished and complete in Jesus Christ. Therefore our message is simple-there is no way you can ‘earn’ forgiveness from God; but you can certainly receive this free gift in Jesus. No amount of penance, pilgrimage and good works can earn you the salvation; it is simply received (a free gift) in believing in Jesus’ name and the cleansing in His blood!

2. He Heals ALL Your Diseases (Psalm 103: 3)

Matt. 10: 1: And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

He is our God who heals! Many of you would know this personally in your experiences this year. There is no sickness, no disease beyond God’s control. The disciples had power to heal all kinds of disease. Even if the doctor says, “No”, we still trust God and His word- His promise that He heals ALL our diseases. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Amen. It shall be so. We can look up in faith, and reach out to Him-even today! For Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

3. He Redeems Your Life from the Pit (Psalm 103: 4)

He is our God who delivers us! He redeems our life from destruction! God is mindful of man made out of dust! As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. (Psalm 103: 15, 16)

Fragile, transient, feeble and temporary-are some words that can describe this life here on earth! In essence, very short – maybe about 0.0000000001%, when compared to eternal life! Even in this short life, there are plenty of people wearied and bogged down with fear and dread. It need not be so!

Because life is meaningless only without God; but with Him, there is a whole new perspective as you see God’s point of view; there is purpose and meaning as you co-operate with God Himself.

Solomon learnt it the hard way that life is meaningless without God! That is why he started his writings in the book ‘Ecclesiastes’ that “All is vanity and grasping for the wind”. Solomon thought that wisdom will give meaning to his life; he set right many proverbs; his wisdom was such that people came from far to hear him-but he found vanity instead. He thought maybe riches will give him meaning; all his subjects were arrayed in fine apparels and his table was always full-but he found vanity. He thought that works will earn meaning-he built palaces and gardens with splendor-yet he found vanity. He thought worldly pleasures will give him meaning-and he indulged himself to satisfy his body with pleasure-but again he found vanity. Everything was futile, empty or just gas! Nothing gave him fulfillment. In bitterness, he concludes, “Fear God and keep His commandments. For this is man’s all.”

Get in touch with God! Otherwise life will not make sense. Peter knew this. He says in 1 Peter 1:18 “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ…”

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail;

In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;

Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,

Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer and Friend!

- (Hymn words by Robert Grant)

4. He crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies (Psalm 103: 4)

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy (Psalm 103:8). For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; (Psalm 103: 11). We are covered in His mercy and that is why we are not consumed. The mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him… (Psalm 103: 17).

Merciful God-that’s who He is-abounding in mercy. Do you want to know how abundant? His mercy is as high as the heavens (v11)-unending in space; and is from everlasting to everlasting (v17)-unending in time.

As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him (Psalm 103: 13). The Lord is compassionate. He is our Father. Do you remember the parable of The Prodigal Son? Jesus recounted that the father was waiting eagerly for son’s return; and although the son had gone astray, went running to him, embraced him and gave him a new garment, a ring and prepared a feast!

As long as we have breath, and as long as the Lord tarries, we have hope of God’s mercy and compassion. Do not think you will receive it tomorrow; for now is the acceptable time and today is the day of salvation.

5. He satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles (Psalm 103: 5)

God is good. And He gives good things to His children. He is God-Who-Provides. When Abraham went to offer up Isaac, God provided him with a ram for the offering. In the mount of the Lord, it will be provided.

God is able to meet all our needs. Paul writes to the Philippians: And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19). He has provided for you and me, throughout this year; he has blessed the bread and water and we did not lack any good thing. ALL our need have been met, not according to our riches, but according to His riches.

When we consider these benefits, our hearts swell with gratitude; we come and bless the Lord. Every need of ours is answered in Christ Jesus, our Lord; for surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53).

God has revealed Himself by His name and given us these, His benefits.

• He is Jehovah M’keddesh – God, who sanctifies (Ex. 31: 13); who forgives all our iniquities, cleanses and justifies us by the blood of Jesus Christ.
• He is Jehovah Rophe – God, our Healer (Ex. 15:26); who heals all our diseases
• He is Jehovah Nissi – God, our Banner (Ex. 17:15); who redeems our life from destruction
• He is Jehovah Jireh – God, our Provider (Gen. 22:14); who satisfies our mouth with good things

Would you call on the name of the LORD? The Psalmist was left wondering about how to respond to all these of God’s benefits. And he finds the answer too! He writes in Psalm 116: 12, 13:

What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

Whether you have already received these benefits or would like to receive them into your life, you can do one thing: Call upon the name of the LORD.

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Amen.