Friday, August 17, 2012

August 17, 2012


We love our benefits! When we look for a job we look for a good salary but we also want the best benefits.

Benefits are an important issue in the Presidential election this year. Both candidates and Parties are claiming that their plans will guarantee the best benefits for the American people. Each of them says their Medi-Care plan is better than the other’s. Both are trying to convince voters that they have the best plan to preserve Social Security. One guy says his healthcare plan is the best benefit ever offered to the American people. The other guy says he wants to abolish that healthcare plan and come up with a better benefit.

Psalm 103:1-5 talks about benefits – the benefits that come from God! Did you know that faith in God comes with benefits? It certainly does! And those benefits are a cause for praising God! Verse 2 goes like this, “Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—“.

Why are you to praise the Lord? Because of His benefits!  What are those benefits? Allow me to highlight those for you!

“who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's”


Praising God should result from remembering ALL the benefits God has provided for you through Christ Jesus! As you meditate on all these marvelous gifts He has given you by His grace, feelings of praise should arise from within your spirit.

What is it that keeps you from praising God? Well, according to the Psalm, you don’t praise God when you forget these benefits He has provided for you!

One thing you should praise God for is His pardon! Through the death of Jesus on the cross God has forgiven all your sins! And by His wounds on the cross and because of His resurrection you have been healed!

Even though you deserved judgment because of your sins. And part of that judgment is sickness and death.

But instead, God in His great love and mercy, sent Jesus to absorb the penalty for your sin. And the judgment for those sins was laid upon Him!

That is worthy of praise!

Will you focus today on the benefits of forgiveness, healing, redemption, love, compassion, satisfaction, and a perpetual source of strength?

Will you live in praise for God’s benefits? And His retirement plan is out of this world!