[276 words]
People will often change jobs for better benefits. More paid health insurance coverage is a major benefit people seek. A liberal retirement plan with earlier investment is also a premium job seekers consider.
For a moment, let’s consider a different source of benefits from someone who loves you very dearly. It is your heavenly Father. Sometimes we don’t realize his benefits because we don’t think about them very much. How wrong we are!
God’s benefits are detailed for us in Psalm 103. The Psalm begins by telling us we should not forget any of his benefits, and then it lists them.
In Psalm 103:1-5, the writer tells us God pardons our iniquities, heals our (spiritual) diseases, redeems our life from the pit, crowns us with lovingkindness and compassion, and renews our lives satisfying us with good things.
He continues in verses 6-18 by recounting some additional things God has done for us. God has made his ways known (verse seven). The Lord has not left us in the dark, but has given us the light of his word (Psalm 119:105, 130). Our God is compassionate (verse eight), slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. “He has not dealt with us according to our sins,” the Psalmist writes in verse 10. He doesn’t automatically impose the penalty of death even though we transgress his word. Instead, he is like a father to us (verses 13-18) because he knows we are made of dust.
When we remember all these benefits, we should be motivated by love to honor and obey God’s word. He is king (verses 19-20). We should serve and praise him every day we live (verses 21-22).
John Henson
Dibrell church of Christ
McMinnville, TN