Consider His Benefits - Part 5

Intro:
Did you know that the base word for thank and the root word for think come from the same root? They have the same parents. They work together like links in a chain.

I heard someone once say that you cannot truly be thankful unless you are thinkful!

The Greek word for "consider" is logizitmy .. where we get the word logic from. Makes sense, doesn't it? We must think to thank.

We have considered what it means to consider the benefits of knowing the Lord.

So, what benefits from the Lord are you thankful for today? Is your life marked by gratitude or something else?

Read the following passage and then think God for all He has done for you. After all, He is worthy of all our praise!

Read:
Psalm 103:1-5

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's

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Consider His Benefits - Part 4

Read:
1 Peter 1:3-9

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Think:
The benefits of the Lord are great and wonderful. It is often easy to forget what life was like before we came to know the Lord Jesus. The Scriptures say we were without God and without hope in the world.

I read some comments that Pat Robertson, of the 700 Club fame, made regarding the tragedy in Haiti. He believes it is God's curse on the nation for turning to satanism 20 years ago. I do not pretend to know what God does or does not do or why but I thought it was interesting that Mr. Robertson feels he knows the counsel of God in matters like this.

Regardless, what struck me most were the sheer number of comments that followed the article. The anger and vitriol in the comments were amazing. Some were calling for Robertson to die! Some were blaming God. Most, however, dismissed Robertson as a lunatic that still believes there is a God that does things like this. All could be answered by nature and science and God is just a leftover myth of the middle ages.

Yet, this day we read that God is active and blesses people. We read that He is a God of grace and loves to bless. This day we hear that we serve a God that gives new beginnings, adoption with all the rewards that come with it and protection.

Think through those things. A God of new beginnings. The God whose mercy is new every morning. A God that offers hope that cannot die through the resurrection of Jesus. A God that can take our deadness and make it alive. A God that welcomes our brokenness and our longings so He can fill them through Christ.

He is also runs an adoption agency. He knows the importance of having a home. He offers an inheritance to those that call Him dad. How do you get an inheritance? You have to be in the will. How do you get in the will? Usually you have to be family. This inheritance is different than anything we might get on earth. This inheritance never runs out or rusts out. That is a huge benefit for those of us that are accustomed to living paycheck to paycheck!

He is also like a big brother that instinctively protects. He is able and willing to shield us. He is actively preserving and protecting our trust in Him until we make it home. That's an often unseen benefit!

Take time to reflect on these great benefits that are yours because of the death and resurrection of Christ. Give Him praise, like Peter did, for all these benefits.

Pray that the survivors in Haiti will meet the God of new beginnings, adoption and protection.

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Consider His Benefits - Part 3

Read:
2 Corinthians 5:1-5

1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

Think:
Paul clearly saw things by revelation that most of us have never seen nor will ever see before we die.

Think through what you just read. I mean really think it through. "Spirits without bodies". New bodies. Longing for new bodies like new clothes. Earthly bodies vs. eternal bodies.

Dying, sighing, groaning and longing .... those seem to be the stuff of life for a Christian. Not exactly how the gospel was "sold" to me. It was sold to us as: "Come to God and all will be taken care of." God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." "Your best life now." Do you have a hard time reconciling these things?

Maybe Paul was a special person with a special burden? Maybe this was HIS story and not universal to all believers? But as I read it, the "we" makes it sound like this is universal to all believers in all times. It sounds as if we all carry this knowledge (v.1) like we know how to tie a shoe or make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

We "know", says Paul, that God has better things for us when we die. We "know" that to be with Him is very much better. We "know" this for certain because the Holy Spirit was given to us to guarantee what was to come.

So, to the pilgrim, to the traveler, to the alien and the stranger, this passage rings out truth... this life is no friend to those that want to walk godly in Christ Jesus. This life is not the easy road.

BUT God has worked against the natural forces of death and decay. He has promised to take care of that and has. He has put a large down payment (v.5) to prove to us that He will do what He says.

Those are benefits of being in Christ. Consider His benefits!

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Consider His Benefits - Part 2

Read:
Psalm 103:1-12

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Think:
When you think about the Lord and all that He has done in your life, what is the result? Usually some expression of praise. Sometimes this is out loud and other times it is a quiet time by the fire place. God hears both.

When David reflected on all God had done for him he wrote a song. In this particular song David listed many of the benefits of the Lord in his life. I count no less than 14 benefits David enjoys because of the Lord in his life!

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Membership has its privileges .... can you name the company that coined the phrase? American Express. They sold to their customers the benefits that come from a partnership with them.

My family is in a new season due to my travel schedule. In my energy solutions role with Johnson Controls I travel a lot. In the past year I have racked up 130,000 Marriott points. How many is that? Well, it is enough points to spend a week in Aruba or Dublin for free! If I can figure out how to pay to get there ... we're gone!

My partnership with Marriott has its benefits. I get special attention at check-in and have choices / upgrades available to me. That feels good. I enjoy free bonus points for staying. I am remembered when I walk through the lobby (sometimes ...). I get early check-in and late check-out. I also get free travel.

What's the point? Membership has its benefits. My relationship with something bigger than me ... in this case the Marriott Corporation ... brings benefits.

David's relationship with Someone bigger than him ... in this case the God of the universe ... brings benefits. At least 14 of them! He enjoys the fullest life now and the best life later. His room is being prepared for him. He is known by name. He has the special attention of a King.

Your relationship with the God of Universe, Inc. brings benefits. Now some might push back here and think this is too Joel Olsteen sounding. I suggest we look again at the verses above! He satisfies you with good things! He is compassionate toward you! He forgives you! He does not give us what we deserve! Those are benefits! Olsteen did not make them up, God did!

Can you identify with some of these benefits? Will you identify one of them, maybe the one that seems most unbelievable, and talk with God about it?

Relationship with God , through the Lord Jesus Christ, has many benefits! Tell someone about it today!

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Consider His Benefits - Part 1

Read:
Psalm 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

Think:
What are the Lord's benefits toward us? To what extent does God love us?
What is his heart toward us?

This Psalm captures some of God's loving care for us. The Hebrews had a special word for God's care ... Hesed (pronounced qh-ehss-ud). This word is so rich in meaning that the KJV folks translated the word "Lovingkindness". If I understand correctly, they created this contracted word, lovingkindness, to capture this Hebrew word's rich meaning.

But more importantly, it captures the heart of God toward His own. We see that here in the Shepherd's care of Psalm 23.

Can you take a second and identify at least 3 special things that God has done, is doing or will do on behalf of His people in Psalm 23?

Go ahead, stop and think through the Scripture above. Meditate on it .......

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Now that you have identified 3 special things that God provides for His people, identify 1 that speaks to you this day and ask God to continually impress it upon you as you walk through the valley of the shadow of death today.

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