Divine Blessings

Chico Alliance Church

Pastor David Welch

“Celebrating Divine Blessings”

Introduction

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty… Psalm 104:1

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle. Psalm 103:2-5

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

He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. Psalm 103:8-14

The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.

Bless the LORD, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word!

Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will.

Bless the LORD, all you works of His, in all places of His dominion;

Bless the LORD, O my soul! Psalm 103:19-22

There are two reasons in these Psalms to bless or speak well of the Lord.

First, because His is very great and clothed with splendor and majesty

Second, because He has so bountifully blessed us.

The verbs are unmistakable in this Psalm.

• Pardons iniquities

• Heals diseases

• Redeems from certain destruction

• Crowns with lovingkindness and compassion

• Satisfies with good things

• Renews youth

• Is compassionate and gracious

• Removed our transgressions completely

• Shows compassion

• Mindful we are fragile creatures

You would think that the recipients of such blessing would never forget how blessed they were and would not need to be reminded to “forget none of His benefits.” Yet the fact is, we do forget and need reminding just how blessed we are.

The communion service is, among other things, about remembrance. The communion table is engraved with “In remembrance of me”. Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

Most of us have observed little memorials along the road, usually a cross of some sort. Unless we have direct connection with the event memorialized by the cross, it means little to us. To those familiar with the event the symbol carries deep meaning and significance. For the Christian, the cross symbolizes a most significant, historical event as real as any event in history symbolized by a cross on the side of the road. We embrace a cross on a hill where the sinless, innocent Son of God freely gave Himself that sinful men might be saved.

WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. 1 Peter 2:22-25

Run the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:2-3

Why did he do it? Because it was the only way that sinful man could be reconciled to a holy God. The only way God could shower us with such blessings is because Jesus took our place.

We are here to celebrate some of those wonderful benefits and blessings. Rather than travel all over the Bible, let’s focus on just one passage we have seen before but are due to revisit some of its treasures again. Ephesians 1. This passage overflows with the blessing of God in Christ.

Paul started with a general summary.

“Bless God who blessed us.”

At a point in time, God “blessed us”. God spoke well of us and showered blessing on us.