God’s Benefits
Psalm 103:1-5
Intro
The background of this particular Psalm is unclear, but what is clear, is a desire on the part of David to praise God for all that He has done. He speaks of God’s personal blessings, vv. 1-5; His national blessings, vv. 6-7; His forgiving love, vv. 8-14; His eternal love, vv. 15-18; and he ends with a universal call for all to praise the Lord, vv. 19-22.
It seems that as David begins to recall the blessings of the Lord, he is overcome with praise for Him. He speaks of benefits = “dealings” – “How God has handled the life of the writer, 3 separate times, David calls upon himself to render praises unto the Lord. He wants “purity of praise” the soul; he wants “abundant praise” – all that is within me. He wants to offer up his sacrifice of love and praise to the God who has doe so much for him. By the way, God deserves our praise; and will receive praise one way or another.
There ought to be, in all our hearts a desire to praise God for all He has done for us. Tonight, I want us to spend a few minutes in this Psalm, showing you that we have reason to praise the Lord. Allow me to say a few words to you about the Lord’s benefits.
I. The Benefit of Forgiveness (v. 3)
a. When a person comes to the Father through faith in the Son, all is forgiven.
i. Not just our weaknesses and failures, but the gross, enormous, crimson red sins that we commit.
ii. He forgives them all – original, actual, life, lip, heart, omission, and commission, are all washed away in the precious blood of Jesus!
b. He also heals the diseases
i. Not of the body, though He can in His will!
ii. But those of the soul are in view here.
iii. He heals the bent in man toward sin.
iv. He arrests the process of corruption that attends a life of evil.
v. 2 Cor. 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
II. The Benefit of Freedom (v. 4)
a. The weight of everlasting destruction
i. Jesus delivered the repentant sinner from the fear of Hell
ii. We were bought and the price wasn’t cheap
b. The weight of Life’s burdens
i. All of life is tempered by the grace of God.
1. Loving-kindness (Grace)
a. This is grace for every step along the way.
b. Like a crown that encircles the hear, God’s grace encircles all of life.
c. As a result, we need not fear!
d. He is with us
e. Notice who He is
i. Jehovah-Jireh – The Lord will see to it.
ii. Jehovah Shalom – The Lord our peace
iii. Jehovah-Rohi – The Lord our Shepherd
iv. Jehovah-Shammah – The Lord is there
v. Jehovah-Rophi – The Lord our Healer
vi. Jehovah-Nissi – The Lord our Banner
vii. Jehovah-Tsidkenu – The Lord our righteousness
2. Tender Mercies
a. Not only does God shower down His grace upon us, He also shows us tender mercies.
b. The best way to describe this is to picture a father, tenderly caring for the needs of His children.
III. The Benefits of Fullness (v. 5)
a. He Satisfies us
i. Ps. 107:9, “For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.”
ii. The world can deliver only death, pain, and heartache.
iii. The Father gives life, peace, and blessing.
iv. The world cannot satisfy, but God abundantly satisfies the heart of man.
v. He does this by being who He is!
vi. Have you ever meet a Christian, who was right with God, who was unsatisfied?
b. He Strengthens Us
i. God gives us His strength to run the race, fight the fight and live the life
ii. Isaiah 40:31, “Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
iii. With God we are complete
Closing
With all these great blessings and benefits is view, isn’t He worthy of your worship and praise? The question is, is He getting it? We certainly do have so much to thank Him for!
