A Template of Reward from Psalm 103

A Sample of Reward

We should always remind ourselves of the nice issues God has finished for us. The psalmist of Psalm 103 focuses on 5 major blessings.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
      and neglect not all his advantages,
who forgives all of your iniquity,
      who heals all of your illnesses,
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 will’t expertise the remainder of God’s goodness. Our sin has separated us from God, and he’s rightly offended; we deserve his wrath. However in case you are 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 as an alternative 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 stated, the top speaks for the physique when confessing sin within the Psalms.¹

Second, God “heals all of your illnesses” (Ps. 103:3b). He restores bodily, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. He provides his shalom, full wellbeing. This instantly brings up a query as a result of many people have stated goodbye to family members for whom we prayed. If God heals all our illnesses, why have been theirs not healed?

Generally God does heal on this life. When he does, we recuperate and look ahead to the following illness. I used to be identified with colon most cancers in 2020. The surgical procedure was profitable, and my scans have been persistently clear. We reward God for this therapeutic, nevertheless it was non permanent. Ultimately I’ll die from most cancers or one thing else.

After we pray for God to heal a fellow Christian, typically he solutions our prayer higher than we requested. We merely wished bodily therapeutic for that particular person to proceed life on this fallen world. God solutions by bringing them Dwelling to present them full well being in glorified our bodies that may not get sick or die. He heals partially as we speak and fully within the life to return.

Third, in the event you’re a Christian, God “redeems your life from the pit” (Ps. 103:4a). The image right here might be of a slave purchased out of bondage; God has certainly set us free from slavery to sin. “The pit” may 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 may 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. Loss of life shouldn’t be 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 superbly described God’s kindness:

ButGod, being wealthy in mercy, due to the nice love with which he beloved us, even after we have been useless in our trespasses, made us alive along with Christ—by grace you may 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). Happy 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 extensive, and I’ll fill it” (Ps. 81:10). He’s not 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 achievement and pleasure outdoors of God and his will. We expect we all know what’s greatest. 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 fallacious 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 observe 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 might not be glad. If he gave us the Andromeda Galaxy however not himself, we might not be glad. If he gave us each blessing on the earth however withheld himself, we might don’t have anything. God provides us himself. There’s nothing extra we may ask for.

Speak to your self. Remind your self of what God has finished. Name your self to reward.

This text is tailored from The Psalms: Rejoice, the Lord Is King (Quantity 2, Psalms 42 to 106) by James A. Johnston.

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