Someone once said that when it comes to serving the Lord, the “pay” is excellent and the “benefits” out of this world. This thought came to mind as I reflected on the words of the Psalmist, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2). In the New Living Translation this verse reads, “Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.”
Among the many benefits David mentions are: He forgives all my sins, He heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things, my youth is renewed like the eagle’s. He gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly, is compassionate and merciful; slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. He is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. He knows how weak we are; He remembers we are only dust. His love remains forever with those who fear Him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to His covenant, of those who obey His commandments.
There is absolutely no one who can top such a “benefits package”! The beauty in all this is that it is not a one time deal, but benefits that are available to us daily. David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, writes: “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation” (Psalm 68:19, KJV). The greatest miracle is the salvation of our souls, but our Heavenly Father did not stop there. In addition to giving us the gift of His Son, He threw in the best benefits package the world has ever known, and it is available to all who will put their trust in Him.
The next time we are tempted to complain, may we reflect on those things. May our prayer be like that of the Psalmist, “Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me.”
