In the same vein as Pastor Jeff’s last blog post (there’s an opening I never thought I would have to write), I wanted to look at an Old Testament reference to our attitude of thankfulness. Psalm 103 rides the crescendo of psalms that are directed towards God that ultimately praise Him. While the other Psalms are addressed to God, perhaps spoken to other people—the righteous, the sinners, Israel, the Gentile, the nations or other groups—Psalm 103 is different. It is different because David is speaking to himself. Why? Why is David “preaching” to himself? You only have to look at verse 2: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” The point is to remind himself of God’s blessings so he will continue to be grateful for all that God has done for him. We will only look at the first five verses, but I challenge you to read the rest as you will note that the psalm is characterized by attitude of thankfulness and the goodness of God.
Something worth worshiping will require sacrifice. God, the Heavenly Father, desires ultimate worship and this requires ultimate sacrifice on our part. David understood the requirement. In just the opening five verses, he uses the word “all” four times! Especially in verses 1-2, the focus of our being is not partial but everything. This is in accordance with Scripture, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut 6:5). David wants to remember God’s benefits and he knows that he does not want to do it superficially. David wants to subject his entire being and exert all of his will to worship God. In the midst of struggles, trials, and even life, we can forget to worship God. Even worse, we worship God in a superficial manner with our hearts being far from him. It is common for us to forget – in fact, it is human to forget. But let us remember that it is a terrible thing to forget God’s “benefits”. In a rather long section, Moses recounts the ways God was faithful to the wandering Israelites. This was important because the new generation was being prepared to inherit the Promised Land and Moses needed to instruct the listeners about God’s faithfulness and blessings (Deut 8:10-14). It is a passionate plea to actively remember God’s benefits and to praise Him because He has acted and protected them.
As you read this, ask yourself, “Self, do you display this deep, rigorous, and real praise in your heart?”
So, here is our call to not forget and to actively worship and praise God. Do not forget these 5 Truths of God’s Benefits:
- He forgives sins (v.3a). The truth David starts with is that God forgives sin. If you flip back to Psalm 51, you will know and understand that David intimately understood the powerful truth that God forgives sins. This is the greatest of all gifts that we can receive from God and the first we need to have. Before you can have any relationship with God the Father, you will need His forgiveness. The forgiveness of our sins is the greatest benefit any of us can ever receive and we can only receive it because God gave his Son over to death on the cross to procure it for us. Is it only some sins? This sin or that sin? No! David writes “all” to signify that God forgives each and every little sin—past, present and future. To what extent does he forgive? Look later at verse 12. David writes “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” I don’t know about you, but the last time I checked my cardinal directions, east and west are pretty far apart.
- He heals (v.3b) The second truth the writer is thankful for is healing, indeed healing of “all” of his diseases. While we may have been forgiven of our sins, as believers we do get sick still and there are many passages that teach God has his purposes for us in our sicknesses. But what does David suggest? David is suggesting that when we are healed, as we often are, it is God who has done it (not just your local pharmaceuticals). God is the healer of the body as well as of the soul. Such health, therefore, as we have been given is a sure gift from God. God should be praised for it.
- He redeems from the pit (v.4) David reinforces the savior God. For when David says that God redeems our lives from the pit, he is saying that God brings us back from the very brink of death. Where is this pit? It most likely refers to Sheol, where the dead go when they die. Is this some allusion toward heaven? Unlikely. It most likely means that God has redeemed David by sparing him from death, presumably by healing his diseases.
- He crowns you with steadfast love and mercy. As if forgiveness of sins, healing from diseases and redemption from Sheol were not enough, God goes to great lengths to bestow upon His people crowns, which are far more precious than those made of corruptible things such as silver and gold; it is studded with the gem of grace and lined with love. At no point do we earn this crown but it is out of mercy and not merit that we are given these crowns by God. It was sin that took away all of our honors, it was the effects of sin that labeled us as traitors to God but it was God who removed the sentence of death by redeeming us from destruction; it was God who restores us to our former honor by crowning us. It is a glorious truth that when the chief Shepherd appears, you and I will receive the unfading crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4).
- He satisfies you with good things (v.5). As David finishes this section of Psalm 103, he reminds himself that God can and will satisfy him with good things. God’s providence to David was abundant and true. God’s desire to provide allowed David’s energy to rise and to have his youth rise like the eagles. It ought to remind us of Isaiah when he wrote, “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isa 40:31).
As you read this, ask yourself, “Self, do you display this deep, rigorous, and real praise in your heart?” It is easy to come to church, to bible-study, and to fellowship out of habit. It is easy to hear sermons without really listening to God. If this is your condition, you need to be like David and you need to talk to yourself. You need to preach to yourself God’s truth and Scripture. You need to stir your heart up to a more appropriate emotional response to the truth about the God you know. Brethren, if you find your heart cold, be like David and begin to count your blessings.
Perhaps you complain about school? Praise God you have a school and are able to study.
Perhaps you complain about work? Praise God you have work and a steady flow of income when most of the world does not.
Perhaps you find someone hard to love? Praise God that He loved you and His only Son died on the Cross for you. Loving God results in loving others.
Above all things, remember to protect, cultivate and fight in your hearts for an attitude that is humbled at God’s mercies and grace and eager to praise Him.