"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's...He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him." (Ps.103:1-5, 10-11)
Just remembering the undeserved goodness and the extravagant grace of our Lord. Sometimes we rush along in life, busy and preoccupied, and we forget, don't we? Shame on us.
Consider this--all that we have, all that we've been forgiven of, all that we enjoy, all the people in our lives...all, all, all comes from His merciful, loving, gracious, powerful hands. What on earth do we have that we've earned or deserve? Nothing. Not one cotton-picking thing.
I mean, let's start with forgiveness, why don't we? We can't go 5 minutes without thinking some selfish or prideful or unkind or pig-headed thought! And yet the Sovereign of the universe chose, in His infinite grace and His unfathomable mercy, to send His Son to die for and redeem us often thoughtless, insecure, misguided, jealous, vain, greedy, shallow, sinful little dust people.
I'm sorry, but that's just the ugly, unvarnished truth of who we are. We are great sinners, as John Newton shared at the end of His life, but, oh my, we have such a great, great Savior.
When we ponder the vast, imponderable breadth of our forgiveness, well, we ought to be living this day and every day as if we are young children excitedly waking up on Christmas morning. Or as if we're a desperate beggar who just won the billion dollar lottery. Or perhaps as if we're a condemned man standing before the firing squad, and we've suddenly been pardoned and freed. We, of all people, should be overflowing with joy and wonder every single day of our lives. Can you believe it? He died for such as me? Who on earth could imagine such a thing?!
Yet how often do we live each day like that? Oh forgive us, Lord Jesus! Might we awaken each morning exultant in the stunning knowledge that You came to save us, that You love us, and that You have chosen to make Your abode within us!
Yes, we join the Psalmist in rejoicing "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits..." Oh help us not to forget, Father! Give us genius memories when it comes to recounting Your goodness and grace and generosity in our lives--for all You are, for all You've done, for all You've given, for all Your gifts.
Can I make a suggestion? If you're suffering from a joy leak today, perhaps it's time to start remembering all those benefits. Take the time--right this minute--to start counting God's gifts in your life. Stop grumbling about what you lack and start rejoicing in what you have. And in case you need a place to start--look at the cross. Oh what a great salvation! What a great Savior!
It's Christmas day today again! Rejoice! To God be the glory.
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