When my son was younger, he asked me what Labor Day was. I tried to explain its significance, but my son was not impressed. “It’s not anything exciting, then?” he asked disappointedly. Now that Labor Day means a day off school and the chance to sleep in, my teenager thinks it’s a lot more exciting!
This month we’ll be walking through Psalm 103 and celebrating the benefits we receive from the Lord. Spoiler alert: These benefits are even better than a 3-day weekend! In this psalm, David calls himself—and all the people of God—to bless the Lord and remember all His benefits. Today we’ll start with verses 1-5:
“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, 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 103:1-5)
God forgives. This forgiveness is complete—He forgives all your iniquity. We’ll dig into the details of this gracious forgiveness next week!
God heals. While God often heals our physical diseases, the healing the psalmist probably had in mind here is our spiritual healing from the disease of sin. As 1 Peter 2:24 says, “[Christ] himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
God redeems. When you were in the pit of guilt, shame, and death, the Lord was the one who rescued you.
God surrounds you with steadfast love and mercy. “Crown” means to encircle or surround. When you look around, do you only see your problems? Or can you see the steadfast love and mercy of God surrounding you today?
God satisfies you and sustains you. God’s goodness fills us up and fuels us for the Christian life.
This is not an exhaustive list of God’s benefits – and even this short list is mind-blowing! When we understand the magnitude of what we’ve received from the Lord, we respond with praise. David wants us to not forget God’s benefits, but to remember and bless His holy name.
No matter what you face this week, remember the benefits you’ve received from the Lord.
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