The gospel message of CHRIST’s death on the cross and its
significance to those who believe are beyond the ability of unregenerate people
to comprehend. Scripture says that it as “foolishness
to the perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the very power of GOD.”
1 Corinthians 1:18
Yet, over time, as believers become at ease with our
salvation, we ought to be careful not to allow the stresses of daily life to so
consume our time and thoughts that we either cease to actively think about and
meditate on the surpassing benefits of the message of the cross, or we sink
into a haze of complacency and take them for granted.
Believers are the sole beneficiaries of life enrichment blessings
that Almighty GOD has set aside solely for His children. These go far beyond
anything this world has to offer and we ought not to take them lightly.
Psalm 103 describes some of the benefits that the children of GOD enjoy.
The psalmist starts off by reminding us of our duty to
praise GOD for what He does for us and not forget His goodness. "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." (Verses 1-2)
To actively think of the selfless ways in which our Father
cares for us should prompt us to give GOD continuous and exuberant praise from
the very depths of our souls.
Verse 3 reminds us that GOD alone has the authority to and does forgive our iniquities and heal our diseases.
Our innate nature is sinful. Even post-salvation, our lives
are sprinkled with sin. But God is faithful and just to forgive our sin again
and again and to gift us with His righteousness. GOD also gave us the power of
the Holy Spirit Who encourages us towards faithful confession and repentance for
sin, to yield less to temptation, and choose paths of righteousness more often.
One of GOD’s NAMES is Yahweh Rophe, The Lord Who Heals.
Healer is who GOD is and healing is what He does. Even though we go to doctors and take
prescribed medication, ultimately GOD decides on and performs the healing in
our bodies. Our minds and emotions can also be sickened. We could fall prey to
spiritual warfare that threaten our peace and steal our joy. Here too, our
Father has healing authority to restore, and miraculously heal us
.
GOD heals both our physical pain and the spiritual forces of
wickedness that threaten to keep our souls in bondage.
Verse 4 shows us how complete the Father’s healing is – He redeems our lives from the pit AND He crowns us with steadfast love and mercy.
Christians have been rescued from “pit” experiences – selfishness,
pride, greed, idolatry, covetousness, sexual sin, addiction, darkness of the
mind, etc. Whatever our personal “pit,” when we give our hearts to CHRIST JESUS
and allow Him to be LORD of our lives, He lifts us out and presents us to the
Father washed in His blood. Now we are spotless and pure, new creatures and
children of GOD.
In addition, we can forever avail ourselves of the Father’s
loving kindness, affection and compassionate care. He never leaves us, never
abandons us, and is attendant to our every need. His mercy is “new every
morning” to cover our every human weakness and failure.
GOD knows our thoughts from afar. Before we can stray off
the path He has laid aside for us and begin to focus on our own agendas, He comes
alongside us and carefully and gently redirects our focus to His plan and His
truth. Our steps are ordered by the Father to give our lives purpose and value.
As our loving Father and caregiver, GOD satisfies us with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
– verse 5.
Christians who live in first world regions have no real
experience with or concept of hunger. For instance, the poorest in America can
eat, even if it’s out of someone else’s dumpster and fewer than three times a
day. We have grocery stores in our neighborhoods the size of several football
fields and most have closets overflowing with clothing and shoes, a roof over
our heads with soft beds to lie in at night, central air, two or more cars in
our drive-ways, and money in the bank for annual vacations.
Additionally, we do not have to worry about bombs falling
out of the skies and incinerating our children in their beds and no one tells
us who to worship and how to worship.
These are all blessings from GOD and we sometimes take these
good things for granted. We forget that it is by GOD’s grace and mercy that we
have them and that He waits for us to bless Him for them, and to trust Him when
we become vulnerable to losing any of them. We also bless Him and show that we
trust Him when we share our resources generously with the less fortunate, and
with no fear of not having enough if we give.
His NAME is Jehovah-Jireh, GOD our Provider.
To be continued…
Prayer and Thanksgiving:
Our LORD and our GOD. YOU are our
loving and good, good Father by whose grace we are saved and whose mercy is new
for us every morning. Thank you for YOUR loving kindness that is better than
life and never runs out. Thank YOU for redeeming us from the pit of hell
that is our past and giving us new life in CHRIST with special benefits YOU set apart for us, who are now
YOUR children. Thank you for being our Provider and our Healer. Fill us, Father, with gratitude and let our
praise never cease for the greatest gift of love that started it all. Remind us by YOUR Holy Spirit of the width and
length and height and depth of that love so that we will always bless YOU, our
LORD, with all that is within us!
We ask all things in JESUS’ Holy NAME. Amen!
Always by God’s Word and prayer,
Cecile
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