Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! ~Psalm 103:1
There are times when we are tempted to complain and give in to grumbling when it seems as if circumstances are not going our way or when our prayers are not being answered how we would like. It becomes all too easy at this point to sit down defeated and dwell on all of our troubles. Pastor asked us about this very scenario last Sunday and challenged us to not reflect on the trouble but on our blessings! King David, who was no stranger to trouble, speaks to himself and commands his own soul to bless the Lord for all the many blessings He pours out on His people.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits ~Psalm 103:2
Do you remember the old saying about looking at a glass and seeing it half empty or half full? It is supposed to indicate if you have an optimistic, or a pessimistic attitude about things. King David would definitely fall into the “half full” category. He reminds himself of all the many benefits and blessings of a gracious and merciful God. His challenge is for us as well to never forget all God has done and is doing for us even in the midst of trouble. Note the types of things God has done for us which David wants us to remember…
who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. ~Psalm 103:3-5
This psalm is one God’s people should revisit often, and as Pastor challenged us, to memorize. He pointed out this psalm of David also reminds us of Who God is:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! ~Psalm 103:1
- Merciful Savior
- Great Physician
- Blessed Redeemer
- Ultimate Satsifier
- God Who Sees
- Tender Father
- Lord of Lords
As David begins to run down through the list of benefits for God’s people, he begins with the forgiveness of all our sin. This is no small thing and will never be appreciated until you realize what it cost God. The cleansing of our sin is not something we could have done for ourselves and required the suffering and death of the only One who could fully satisfy God’s wrath. All of our benefits and blessings, which we must endeavor to remember, are all in Him…
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places ~Ephesians 1:3
Our problem is we focus on what we don’t have instead of what we do have! What a joy it is to read here in the book of Ephesians that God provides for us all spiritual blessings. The blessings spoken of here go well beyond resources to launch a new ministry, relief from a headache, or good weather for the church picnic. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, he had in mind things like joy, peace, patience, holiness, love, courage, faith, and of course forgiveness of sin! The reminder to focus on the vast scope of God’s blessings are everywhere in Scripture.
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence ~2 Peter 1:2,3
Think of it! All we need provided to us by the divine power of God! The almighty Himself has provided everything we could possibly need to live and to live that life in a godly manner. So then, how do we receive it? Where do we go to get these spiritual blessings? Do we get them at church, a Bible study, or in a prayer group? Maybe we get them on a trip to the Holy Land. No, it is not where we go to receive these blessings, it is to Whom we go. Scripture is plain concerning this.
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. ~2 Corinthians 2:14
Yes, it is true God will provide every spiritual blessing, but all of our blessings are only available to us if we are in Christ. Think of it like this, if you need to travel some great distance and you want to take advantage of traveling there in a train you must go to the train station. Once there you board the train and as long as you remain seated in the train and don’t get off along the way, then you receive the benefit of the ease of travel which it provides. Should you get off at some stop and start walking on your own, then those benefits are no longer available. There is a distinct difference between being in Christ and not. It is as different as old and new…
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ~2 Corinthians 5:17