A Sample of Reward
We must always remind ourselves of the great issues God has performed for us. The psalmist of Psalm 103 focuses on 5 primary blessings.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and neglect not all his advantages,
who forgives all of your iniquity,
who heals all of your ailments,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
in order that your youth is renewed just like the eagle’s.
—Psalm 103:2–5
First, God “forgives” all of your sins. That is the best blessing. With out forgiveness, we are able to’t expertise the remainder of God’s goodness. Our sin has separated us from God, and he’s rightly indignant; we deserve his wrath. However if you’re a Christian, he has forgiven you in Christ.
Christ recognized along with his individuals and took our sin on himself. He suffered in our place instead to take away our guilt and disgrace, pay the penalty we deserved, and restore us to God. That is how the sinless Christ can reward God for forgiveness. As Augustine mentioned, the pinnacle speaks for the physique when confessing sin within the Psalms.1
Second, God “heals all of your ailments” (Ps. 103:3b). He restores bodily, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. He offers his shalom, full wellbeing. This instantly brings up a query as a result of many people have mentioned goodbye to family members for whom we prayed. If God heals all our ailments, why had been theirs not healed?
On this commentary on Psalms 42–106, readers discover encouragement and inspiration as they encounter the psalmists’ passionate pursuit of God. This quantity is a part of the Preaching the Phrase sequence.
Generally God does heal on this life. When he does, we get well and anticipate the following illness. I used to be recognized with colon most cancers in 2020. The surgical procedure was profitable, and my scans have been constantly clear. We reward God for this therapeutic, however it was momentary. Ultimately I’ll die from most cancers or one thing else.
After we pray for God to heal a fellow Christian, generally he solutions our prayer higher than we requested. We merely needed bodily therapeutic for that particular person to proceed life on this fallen world. God solutions by bringing them Dwelling to offer them full well being in glorified our bodies that may not get sick or die. He heals partially right this moment and utterly within the life to come back.
Third, when you’re a Christian, God “redeems your life from the pit” (Ps. 103:4a). The image right here may very well be of a slave purchased out of bondage; God has certainly set us free from slavery to sin. “The pit” might additionally imply dying. That is what it meant for Christ. God saved him from dying. “For you’ll not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption” (Ps. 16:10). And once more Christ says, “For excellent is your steadfast love towards me; you might have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol” (Ps. 86:13).
God can solely actually fulfill us by giving us himself.
If you happen to belong to Christ, God redeemed your life with Christ. Demise is just not the tip; you’ve been introduced from the pit.
Fourth, God “crowns you with steadfast love and mercy” (Ps. 103:4). He doesn’t simply set us free and inform us to fend for ourselves. He goes excessive and locations crowns on our heads. The Apostle Paul fantastically described God’s kindness:
ButGod, being wealthy in mercy, due to the nice love with which he liked us, even after we had been lifeless in our trespasses, made us alive along with Christ—by grace you might have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him within the heavenly locations in Christ Jesus. —Eph. 2:4–6
Fifth, God “satisfies you with good” (Ps. 103:5). Glad is how I really feel after Thanksgiving; I don’t want the rest. God fulfills our deepest starvation and longings. He says, “Open your mouth large, and I’ll fill it” (Ps. 81:10). He isn’t stingy and low cost along with his individuals. “He would feed you with the best of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I’d fulfill you” (Ps. 81:16).
Tragically, although God made these guarantees in Psalm 81, Israel wouldn’t pay attention and look to God’s beneficiant goodness (Ps. 103:11–13). We do the identical factor by searching for success and pleasure outdoors of God and his will. We predict we all know what’s finest. We’re like a person who reads the proprietor’s guide for his automobile. It says to make use of a sure weight of oil, however he is aware of higher. So he pours within the improper oil and ruins his engine. Christ regarded to God and his will for each blessing and for full satisfaction (Ps. 84:11). We imitate him and comply with his coronary heart.
God can solely actually fulfill us by giving us himself. He’s the best, most compelling, fascinating, fulfilling, absorbing, pleasant being within the universe. Christ says, “In your presence there may be fullness of pleasure; at your proper hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11).
If God gave us considerable meals however not himself, we’d not be happy. If he gave us the Andromeda Galaxy however not himself, we’d not be happy. If he gave us each blessing on this planet however withheld himself, we’d don’t have anything. God offers us himself. There’s nothing extra we might ask for.
Speak to your self. Remind your self of what God has performed. Name your self to reward.
This text is tailored from The Psalms: Rejoice, the Lord Is King (Volume 2, Psalms 42 to 106) by James A. Johnston.
Associated Articles
4 Psalms You Didn’t Realize Point to Christ
Many times I’ve seen a psalm come into focus once I relate it to Christ, just like a fuzzy scene by a digicam viewfinder coming into sharp focus when the lens is correctly adjusted.
10 Things You Should Know about the Psalms
All through the historical past of the church, Psalms has been among the many first books of the Bible translated and essentially the most generally learn and memorized.
How (and How Not) to Read the Psalms
Though all of us have derived non secular profit from the Psalms—an historical assortment of poems—on many ranges, there are methods to learn the Psalter which are extra helpful than others.
The Psalms Are Both by and about the King
Basically, the Psalms are each by and concerning the king. The Psalter might be regarded as a royal hymnbook, and its particular person psalms have the home of David as its material and level of reference.
