Well, I thought my allergies were very extreme this year, but turns out I’m really sick. Poo! My head is jumbled and foggy. My throat is on fire. And my temperature has been up and down over the past 24 hours. So today, I’m going to share an older post. I just don’t have it in me to think this morning. Blessings upon you and yours. Tomorrow is another day!
What’s the Benefit?
Maybe you’ve asked this question before. It might be worded differently, but in essence you’ve asked the question, “What’s in it for me?” Whether it’s a warranty plan or a credit card application or a grocery store club card, we want to know what our benefits are and what we get in return.
We recently bought a warranty for a piece of jewelry and to be honest, we haven’t been all that impressed with the benefits of this plan. Our health insurance benefits aren’t nearly as good as they used to be. And sometimes those electronic coupons don’t transfer to my shopping card. It can be frustrating.
There are times in my life when the benefits just don’t measure up to the sales pitch or the expectation. The benefits of this world can be disappointing, but I know for sure that the benefits I receive from God will never fail.
There’s a passage in the Book of Psalms that caught my attention this week. King David was thinking of the benefits he received from God and put pen to paper so that we might remember these benefits. Let’s take a look at this passage.
“Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—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 that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:1-5 – NIV)
Did you catch those benefits? I hope not! Let’s look at these benefits individually.
God forgives all your sins
The key word here is all. Not just the little sins, but the big ones as well. If you still need convincing, here are a few more verses to consider. Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 43:25-26; Micah 7:18-19; and 1 John 1:9.
God heals all your diseases
This one is a little more difficult to believe because we all know people who have not been healed. There are passages that show God’s desire to heal us of our diseases. Take a look at Psalm 41:3; Isaiah 53:4-5; James 5:14; and 1 Peter 2:24.
However, we know that God chose not to heal Paul of his “thorn in the flesh.” Why? So that he wouldn’t become conceited and so that he would become more trusting in God’s grace (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). When we realize that God’s grace is enough, we come to understand that that benefit far outweighs healing.
God redeems your life from the pit
Oh that dreaded pit. The place we go to get covered in the muck and grime of sin. This benefit of God shows that He is not willing to leave us in that state. He wants us to come out of that pit of despair so that we might enjoy the benefit of hope and salvation.
Psalm 40:2 (NIV) says, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” If you seemed to have missed this benefit, why not ask God to help you out of that pit?
God crowns you with love and compassion
God’s love and compassion are more wonderful than I can express. The prophet Jeremiah spoke of God’s compassion in Lamentation 3:21-23 (NIV). “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
This benefit is never ending. There’s no expiration date. And you can receive as much as you need on a daily basis. God is faithful to provide love and compassion. Every. Single. Day!
God satisfies your desires with good things
In a world where satisfaction is difficult to find, I know the One who is able to satisfy beyond my wildest imagination. Here are a few passages to consider. Psalm 63:1-5; Psalm 90:40; Luke 11:11-13; John 4:4-26; and James 1:17.
Good things. Not the good things of this life, but the good things of our souls. Our spiritual satisfaction can be found only through God, His Son, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. We may find satisfaction in some of the good things of our world, but it can never replace the spiritual satisfaction we find in our Heavenly Father.
God renews
This benefit is so uplifting. When I am at the end of my rope, God gives the added strength to continue. To keep going. Isaiah 40:30-31 speak to being renewed to run and soar. Psalm 23:3 tells us that God restores our souls. Romans 12:2 reminds us to renew our minds through God’s transformation. 2 Corinthians 4:16 points to our inner renewal even though our outward bodies are falling apart.
The benefits found in these short verses are encouraging. When things don’t seem to be going as we would like, maybe it’s a good idea to think, to remember the benefits God has blessed us with.
Above all, I pray that you are praising God for all that comes into your life. Praise is yet another benefit we’ve received from the Father above. Let’s not allow our day to go by without thanking Him for the many benefits He has given. Let’s praise His holy Name!
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
August 21st, 2015 
dsisler 
What does it mean to be a servant? For most of us, we probably think of it as giving of self to another for the benefit of the other. Henry Blackaby says that “A servant is one who finds out what his master wants him to do and then does it.” He goes on to say, “Being a servant of God is different from being a servant of a human master. A servant of a human master works for his master, God, however, works through his servants.”[i]
