There’s a song that we all know and love that goes like this,
“Bless the Lord oh my soul, oh my soul,
worship His Holy Name,
Sing like never before, oh my soul,
I worship Your Holy Name.”*
Remember the benefits
Why is it so easy to bless His Name, and sing His praises when things are good, but so very hard when life gets messy?
Here’s why: we forget. We forget all His benefits. His benefits are better than any 401k, better than any insurance policy we could ever have. His benefits are gracious and they are better than any disaster we face. Greater than any heartache.
Psalm 103:1-5 says, “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 forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Verse 3 gives us the benefit of forgiveness. Oh, how great a benefit is this!!! Remember how much He has forgiven you of? How many times has He picked you up out of the muck and the mud? We, who are so unworthy, have a God so infinitely loving that He forgives ALL our iniquities. That’s quite a benefit. Thank You, Lord!
We see in the same verse the benefit of healing. He took our sin-sick souls and He healed them when we called out to Him in repentance for salvation- He gave us a new name when He healed us- He gave us hope and eternal life with this healing. Thank You, Lord!
In verse 4 we see the benefit of redemption. He took something that was already His, that was stolen by sin, and He bought us back with the blood of Jesus Christ
and saved us from eternal separation from Him. Oh, thank You, LORD!! And then, the benefit of being crowned with lovingkindness and tender mercies! How could I ever forget Your kindness to me, Lord? Your tender mercies have restored my soul so many times…
Verse 5 shows us the benefit of satisfaction. When we look back on all the benefits of the Lord, as David did here in the Psalms, we can’t help but to be satisfied. It’s only when we forget the benefits of the Lord that we get disgruntled, dissatisfied.
Never forget.
Remember all His benefits when life starts to beat you up. When you start thinking that God has forgotten you, or doesn’t care, think back on these things.
He cares. Oh, He cares.
When I remember His benefits to me, I can sing with a thankful heart:
“Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, Oh my soul,
Worship His Holy Name,
Sing like never before, Oh my soul,
I will worship Your Holy Name.”*
*Redman M., Myrin J. 10,000 Reasons 
(10,000 Reasons, 2011) Kingsway Music
My name is Lynn, and I’ve been married to my husband Matthew for 26 years. We live in SC along with our 4 children, and 2 grandchildren. Matthew and I are both in fulltime ministry. Matthew has been lead pastor at our church for almost 11 years.
My passion is seeing others overcome difficult pasts with a desire to grow in the Lord and serve Him without feeling unqualified or less than.
