Thursday: Forget Not All His Benefits
Daily Lesson for Thursday 15th of February 2024
Read Psalms 103:1-22. How is God’s mercy portrayed here?
Psalms 103:1-22 enumerates the Lord’s manifold blessings. The blessings include “all his benefits” (Psalms 103:2) for a flourishing life (Psalms 103:3-6). These blessings are grounded in God’s gracious character and in His faithfulness to His covenant with Israel (Psalms 103:7-18). The Lord “remembers” human frailty and transience and has compassion on His people (see Psalms 103:13-17).
Image © Jeff Preston at Goodsalt.com
Remembering is more than mere cognitive activity. It involves a commitment that is expressed in action: God delivers and sustains His people (Psalms 103:3-13). The powerful images in Psalms 103:1-22:11-16 illustrate the immeasurable greatness of God’s grace, which can be compared only to the infinite vastness of the heavens (Isaiah 55:9).
How, then, should people respond to God’s loving-kindness?
First, by blessing the Lord (Psalms 103:1-2).
Blessing is generally understood as an act of bestowing material and spiritual benefits upon someone (Genesis 49:25, Psalms 5:12). Because God is the Source of all blessings, how can human beings bless God? An inferior can bless a superior as a means of thanking or praising him (1 Kings 8:66, Job 29:13). God blesses people by conferring good on them, and people bless God by praising the good in Him; that is, by revering Him for His gracious character.
Second, by remembering all His benefits and His covenant (Psalms 103:2, 18–22), just as the Lord remembers the feeble human condition and His covenant with His people (Psalms 103:3–13). Remembering is a crucial aspect of the relationship between God and His people. Just as God remembers His promises to the people, so the people are indebted to remember God’s faithfulness and respond to God with love and obedience.
With this idea in mind, these famous words of Ellen G. White are so appropriate: “It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 83.
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Upbeat Psalms like Psalm 103 are a bit like climbing a high mountain and enjoying the view. But if we don't recognise that for at least some of us there are deep valleys where it is hard to see the mountain tops, let alone the view they provide. For the family that has just lost a couple of members in tragic circumstances, for someone who is putting up with years of chronic pain, for the tithe-paying, God-fearing business person who loses their business due to an economic downturn, for the student who fails an examination he has studied for faithfully, it is hard to see the goodness of God shining through.
I feel uncomfortable when I hear testimonies about blessings when I know there are folk in the congregation who are asking the question, "Why them and not me?"
I am also aware that we have a whole raft of explanations about why this is so, but in the end, so many of those explanations are just "so many words".
Perhaps the answer lies not so much in producing an erudite explanation but be recognising that we are part of the "blessing business". God wants us to be a blessing to others and in doing so reveal his character to them. When you think about it, a fair bit of the Bible is about how we treat others. The idea of loving God and one another is embedded in the Torah, written into the tithing system, reiterated in the minor prophets, and emphasised in the New Testament. Essentially the message is to look after the widows and orphans, the stranger within your gates, and the disenfranchised. God's blessing of others often depends on us. Perhaps, our biggest sin is our unwillingness to share God's blessing with others.
It has been a while since I have quoted:
Thank you for sharing that insight. My poverty stricken. childhood was filled with hiding from the rage in my home,in my neighborhood, and bullies at my schools,etc. I was aware of relatives with terrible illnesses and very little hope.
Over the years, my mother was an inspiration in that she did what she could with what she had to be a blessing to others. There were a few times she would take me with her, the only girl among a houseful of boys, to the Dorcas Society at the church.
The ladies allowed me to help with their projects such as tying quilts to give to the poor.
In all the tumult, I saw my mother do for the less fortunate what she could.
In the SDA Pathfinder pledge are the words,
"I will be a servant to God and a friend to man."
I'm no longer able to do much, but those words I pray pretty much every day.
There's a song I heard a long time ago
"I don't have to wait until I'm grown up
To be loving and true
There are many little deeds of kindness
That each day I can do
I can read my Bible and pray
Be a loving helper always
I don't have to wait until I'm grown up
To be what Jesus wants me to be."
I read a story about a girl, who's name was Angel, with a reputation for kindness, compassion and helping whenever she could.
When someone wanted to honor her, she asked that they best way to honor her was to be a blessing to others.
Instead of celebrating
"Angel Day", she asked them to change it to
"Be an Angel Day". In other words, for them to go out of their way to show kindness to others, whether it was something as simple as letting someone else go ahead of them in line, visiting the elderly, sharing, etc.
The Red Cabinet is a ministry in my area that provides nonperishable food items in easy access, no questions asked,areas where no one watches to see who takes food out of the cabinets. The food is provided by volunteers.
Jesus met people's physical needs as well as spiritual. I believe He wants us to be a blessing to others in whatever capacity we are able, in order to lead them to the Giver of Life, our Creator, our loving God.
Susan - Thank you for your heartfelt testimony encouraging all to be a blessing to others even during difficult times. Yes, indeed, the song you included speaks volums to the Truth that, with a willing heart, we are always able to see opportunities to share God's love with our fellow man!
Thank you, Maurice. Another verse that comes to mind is, ".... freely you have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:8).
God lifts the pain for us in the midst of difficult challenges, and in so doing models for us the steps, and gives us the divine power, to help deliver those around us from difficult challenges in their lives. Amen!
I guess we all see things so differently - I don't see Psalm 103 as an upbeat psalm at all, though perhaps that is because I've heard so many songs that use some of the verses and thy are actually quite contemplative. It is one of my favorite psalms and I'm more of a melancholy personality. Vs. 14 and 15 talk about God remembering we are dust and just like a flower that comes and goes. Those are sobering words, but they mean a lot to me, because they show that God understands our limitations and condition (which is probably both physical and spiritual). Rather than condemn, He still reaches down with compassion.
As for people sharing blessings, there are probably a few people who have had a basically awful life, but at least in Western society, they aren't so common. Most of live between the mountains and the valleys. I can almost guarantee you that the person sharing the blessing has had their moments of trouble and those who are down aren't down forever. So I think really we should keep sharing our blessings. I've been guilty of being annoyed at how trite they sometimes sound, but really it's probably better to hear them than not. Still, we should be sensitive to difficult situations and how our words make others feel. But I don't think we should stop praising all the same. Remember what a huge difference it made when Paul and Silas did it!
Which is easier to remember: a good thing or a bad thing? Which of these two does impact you the most? A bad thing or experience leaves a scar we know as trauma. The dictionary defines trauma as "an injury (such as a wound - it could also be psychological) to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent." Why do we focus on the traumas instead of the good things that happen to us much more frequently? Blessing God is a practical way to focus on the good things we are constantly exposed to! Blessing God is to have a thankful heart that is more active than a sorrowful one. A practical gratitude to the Force that gives us life can be to learn about Him and do what pleases Him. Do I want to be fully happy on this decaying planet? All I should strive for is to do my Creator's will.
The above-quote is in reference to when Joseph and Mary accidentally left 12-year-old Jesus behind at the Temple as they returned home after the Passover feast. When Mary finally found Jesus again, she said, "Your father and I have sought you, sorrowing." Jesus, of course, had not left them, but they had left town without Him, ...they had taken their eyes and attention off of Jesus and suffered from it.
I shared some personal sorrowing in my last post. It's taken a bit of time, and by this morning I recognize how my situation was made more difficult by taking my eyes off of Jesus....getting lost in my feelings, rather than running immediately to Jesus to see Him in those similar situations - wow, on the Cross, no one has ever been more unfairly labeled and rejected by those He loved, no one more lonely, and never will be - ....He shows me over and over why He is my Best Friend and my Savior and my Big Brother. The example of Jesus's life is such a tremendous benefit from God!!
I have been reading to my Mom the Arthur S. Maxwell Bible Stories for children....starting with Vol. 7 and the story of Jesus's birth...and now we are in Vol. 8 and Jesus's life ministry. Want to share this with you to say what an encouragement these books are to me, as a part of my daily walk with God. Even though written for "boys and girls", Mom and I are continuously blessed by them. Arthur Maxwell journeys through the Bible remaining closely faithful to Scripture, with many quotes lifted directly....and also fleshing out the scenes to make them come alive. It is a blessing to carry these pictures and words of Jesus inside me each day. Another way to "remember all His many benefits" (Ps. 103:2).
”As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.“ Psalms 103:12 NKJV
If you keep going north, you will eventually start going south. If you keep going south, you will eventually start going north. But if you are going east, you will always be going east all the way around the globe. If you are going west, you will always be going west around the globe. North meets south, but east and west never meet each other. That is why the Psalmist didn’t say God removes our transgressions from us as far as the north is from the south. Instead, he said God has removed our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west, God has separated our sins from us so far that we are never to meet them again.
William - I appreciate you highlighting an aspect of God that only He as the Creator of all things is able to perform - thank you!
Can anyone whose transgressions are accordingly dealt with perish?
Hi Kenny,
I think you're asking if someone's transgressions are forgiven, can they lose eternal life? If that's your question, my understanding is that Christ's atonement/forgiveness covers all of our sin as long as we say "yes" to that Gift. If we say yes to Jesus's sacrifice and walk with Him all our days, He grants us eternal life with Him.
But if we accept Him as Lord and then change our mind and deny that Jesus is our Savior later on, it is possible to then perish in the final judgment. We are not "once saved always saved". Free choice is always available to us.
The comfort we can cling to is that if we have accepted Jesus, we don't have to worry whether all of our sins are gone, or whether we will spend eternity with God. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
Again, the author of today’s lesson places her finger on what really matters – to “Bless the Lord oh my soul”! What a marvelous, wonderful Creator God man has been introduced to! All touched by His Majesty and loving care can only stand in awe when contemplating His Greatness!
At this point in my Christian journey I wonder if the average man is still capable to be ‘impressed’ by a Great God; man has achieved so much on his ‘own’, they might say! Those who still humble themselves will know the difference in their life with and without God, but what about those who think there is no God necessary for guding man in how to live and succeed? Does it make a difference to them how great the Christian God really is - a little god or a GREAT GOD?
Because mankind thinks that so much has been achieved to advance its civilization, not recognizing 'God' in this advancement, I think it is of even greater importance to know God’s Greatness now! Now, as intelligence and inovation is moving forward at a rappid pace, man cannot loose sight of God!
God cannot any longer only be judged through His ‘performance’ based on human observation or ‘answered’ personal prayers. By the psalmists' praise and statements of facts throughout the Old Testament, God has given mankind the record of His Greatness. We can understand that His presence is found in everything important to man’s life – physical as well as spiritual.
I think it is time to elevate and accept God for who HE is – the Creator and Maintainer of all that IS! Every minute of every day we want to keep in front of our mind and in our heart the understanding that it is HE that is the 'all-in-all' of our life.
We will always praise Him and never forget Him as long as we live, because He is in us and we are in Him – in good times and in ‘bad’ times!
This is my first time to go through this sabbath school lesson discussion and you have blessed me today.lets pray for each other to inherite the Lord kingdom
Dear Evans - Welcome to the family of Sabbath school lesson students! Thank you for sharing that you received a blessing and encourage us to pray for each other to inherit the Lord's kingdom! I will! 🙂