Hi, and welcome to another edition of From the Pastor's Pen. Today's edition is entitled, Forget Not All His Benefits. And our focus text comes from Psalm 103, verses 1 through 5. And there we read, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquities. who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. Amen. Well, when God graciously works in the hearts and lives of His people in ways in which we examine ourselves and are moved to stir up our souls, wholeheartedly blessed to wholeheartedly declare what belongs to him and praise his holy name, it's a glorious thing. David proclaimed rightly in Psalm 145, verse 10, all your works shall praise you, O Lord, and your saints shall bless you. Indeed, we must, and indeed, we shall by his grace. In Psalm 103, David's public dialogue with himself reveals his struggle, coupled with his conviction and growth in seeking to praise God as he ought, in the right ways, and for the right reasons. His self-exhortation should also encourage you and me today as we see his example. Considering this, as God's holiness fuels our praise, so also must our remembrance of all of his benefits. In other words, we must not forget the good things that God has lavished upon us. We must not be oblivious or unmindful of divine blessings and have them far from our attention. We must not refuse to consider them either. But rather, we must gratefully remember all of God's mercies to us, not professing gratitude merely with our tongue, but from the depth of our soul. As David gives a list of glorious benefits in this passage, where does he begin? He lists five acts beginning with the divine pardoning of sin. David says that our God forgives all our iniquity. The first and greatest benefit of God's grace for which we should bless the Lord is the forgiveness of all his people's sins. There isn't any or even the smallest sin that is left unpaid for or not forgiven by Christ. The Apostle Paul pressed this good news as he preached Christ and his work to the men of Israel in Acts 13, verse 38, where he said, therefore, let it be known to you, brethren, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins. God is merciful and compassionate to his repentant people. He alone can forgive the guilt of our sin. Mark 2, verse 7. Think about the many sins that you've committed, and yet they are all pardoned. Know that the Hebrew verb form here teaches us that this is God's habitual activity. Praise the Lord. David also says, healing all your diseases. Sickness of body and soul came into this world by sin. And as sin is eradicated, sickness of the body and mind and spirit will vanish. This benefit has no prosperity gospel message as if Christ died to take away every sickness in this life. No, sickness and suffering remain today. Consider Paul's prayer for personal healing and God's response in 2 Corinthians 12, 9. My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. And so here's the connection between these first and second benefits, beloved. Having forgiven as the judge, our Savior then cures us as the physician. He is all things to us and meets all of our needs. God makes medicine for the body effective. He can also heal directly. His grace sanctifies our souls. Spiritually, we're daily under His care. He visits us as a faithful surgeon, healing sickness according to His will. No disease of your soul baffles His skill. Take great comfort in that today. God heals them and will heal them all in the resurrection on the last day. And so Jesus teaches our pardoned and restored souls to bless the Lord with all its strength. David goes on to say redeemed from destruction. A third great benefit of God's amazing grace is Christ redeeming us from death, from the grave, and eternal condemnation and destruction in hell. As the writer to the Hebrews wonderfully teaches us in Hebrews 2, verses 14 and 15, inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Never forget his breaking of those deadly bonds for you, bringing you under the yoke of Christ. David goes on to say, crowned with loving kindness. Our souls should also be stirred up and reminded of this benefit that flows from God's forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies. Think about all of such kindness and mercy that He gives you and bless your Savior. The sinner outside of Christ doesn't receive this crown. They receive perishable crowns of misery and corruption from men. Yet we are the recipients of God's favor. We are the recipients of His abundant love for all eternity. Christ crowns his people with that which is imperishable. 1 Corinthians 9, verse 25. Again, praise the Lord. But David finally brings up, satisfied with good things. Beloved is truly only the favor and grace of God that can give our souls true satisfaction and supply all of our needs. Proverbs 8, 21. Though the world offer many attractive and enticing gifts, they never give what they promise. Yet God's never-ending supply of all that is good is often forgotten, yet essential to remember each and every day. Notice David's words that his satisfying us with good things has a wonderful purpose. By the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit, our Lord recovers us and fills us with new life and joy today, which points us to the promise and the guarantee of our eternal life and joy in Jesus. Wow, such an awesome reality and truth. So I ask you, do you have half-hearted, forgetful struggles like David? See his self-exhortation and follow his example. Forget not all God's benefits, beloved. Engage today and in the days ahead to stir up your soul, to remember them and to praise him for them with your whole heart. Well, amen. I hope that you're blessed by this devotion here today and this passage from Psalm 103. Join me again next time for another edition of From the Pastor's Pen. God bless you, and I'll see you then.