Bless the <\/i>Lord<\/i>, O my soul,<\/i> and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities… <\/i>Psalm 103:1-3a<\/p>\n
I have challenged you to challenge yourself to bless the Lord on a daily basis. Do it whether you feel like it or not. Do it whether it is practical or not. Do it when you have energy; do it when you are exhausted. Do it when you\u2019re at the top of your game; do it when you have failed. Do it in the midst of the daily grind and the monotony of life.<\/p>\n
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits! <\/i>(Psalm 103:1-2.)<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know about you, but I love benefits. I was thrilled to have a job that provided a wonderful benefit package, and had that package been withdrawn by the powers-that-be, you\u2019d better believe they would have heard about it!<\/p>\n
But God has provided an even better benefit package for His people\u2014one that puts corporations, unions, businesses, and all other employers to shame. That package of benefits was superb in David\u2019s time; however, the upgraded benefits we have received in Christ are top shelf\u2014the premiere, highest-priced package\u2014complete and with nothing lacking. And those benefits have been paid for in full by our Employer, Provider, Physician, Counselor, and Protector!<\/p>\n
Everything that David discovered in his benefit package from God is included in the far more expansive package that Christ purchased for you by His death on the cross. It was God\u2019s early benefit package that David commanded his soul not to forget. Have you ever commanded yourself<\/i> to forget none of God\u2019s benefits? My guess is that now would be an excellent time to make yourself remember all of them.<\/p>\n
Why would you need to force<\/i> yourself not to forget any of God\u2019s benefits, seeing as they are so wonderful? Hebrews 2:1 answers that question. \u201cFor this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it<\/i>.\u201d God\u2019s benefits are first spiritual, and as they are received by you in faith, then they filter down into the natural realm of your life and bring transformation. As a result of this sequence, a waiting period usually occurs between faith and its manifestation, and this is the time when impatience and distraction can lead to drifting away from\u2014or forgetting\u2014what you know about God and His benefits. Soul, forget none <\/b>of His benefits!<\/i><\/p>\n
David commanded himself not to forget that it was the Lord \u201cWho pardons all your iniquities<\/i>\u201d. The very first benefit listed\u2014and therefore the most important\u2014was the forgiveness of sin. David knew God as the One who pardoned all his iniquities, but God was able to pardon that sin because of the Sacrificial Lamb to come, Jesus Christ. God\u2019s forgiveness of everyone\u2019s<\/i> sin\u2014past, present, and future\u2014was, then and<\/i> now, based solely on the fact that a Substitute came to earth. That Substitute took the punishment each of us deserved and bore the full price for our sin. That\u2019s why a Holy God can pardon you and me\u2014our sins have already<\/i> been judged and the punishment has alre<\/i>ady<\/em> been borne by our Substitute, Jesus.<\/p>\n When I was a teacher, I sometimes had substitutes come into my classroom for me when I was sick or had a workshop to attend. Although I left plans for that sub, anything that happened that day in my class was on the sub. If a student had a temper tantrum, the sub dealt with it. If someone threw up on themselves, I didn\u2019t have to clean it up. If\u2014God forbid\u2014a shooter entered my room that day, it would be on the sub, not me.<\/p>\n Our Substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ, took up our lesson plans\u2014human flesh and blood\u2014and in our place bore the full brunt of the punishment that we deserved. Because of this huge sacrifice of substitution, God is free to pardon our iniquities once and for all\u2014and He has.<\/p>\n Now I command my soul to never forget that the Lord has pardoned all<\/em> my iniquities. David only saw a shadow of the Messiah\u2019s coming substitution through the sacrificial bulls, goats, and lambs, but I know<\/i> the Messiah, Himself<\/em>, Jesus, the Lamb of God, who substituted for me that day on the cross. And you<\/i> know Him, too, if you have made Him your Lord. If not, He\u2019s a prayer away, ready to enter your life for the asking. With Him comes the full package of benefits, already paid for and freely given.<\/p>\n Never let yourself forget that He has pardoned your iniquities. Keep this truth close to your heart, and bless the Lord! You are pardoned. Your sins have been forgiven!<\/p>\n Thank You, Lord!<\/p>\n Dorothy<\/p>\n