Blessing the Lord Psalm 103
INTRODUCTION
In just a few short days we will celebrate Thanksgiving 2009. Now I believe it is good that we have a day set aside each year to give thanks to God as a nation, even though on that day football and feasting seem to take precedence over blessing the Lord for most Americans. As followers of Christ, we need to do everything we can to preserve Thanksgiving as a holiday set aside to recognize the blessings of God in our nation as well as in our life. We ought not assume that Thanksgiving will always be observed in a way that honors God. Think about how Thanksgiving has already been marginalized in our society as a national holiday.
I was shopping in Wal-Mart earlier this week and observed very little that would indicate Thanksgiving is just a few days away. But signs of Christmas were everywhere I cared to look. Christmas, because of its great commercial power, is already being pushed in our stores. But noticeably absent are the paper pilgrims, pumpkins and cornucopias that used to decorate our stores not that many years ago. It seems like today as soon as the big push to buy Halloween costumes and candy is over, out come the Christmas decorations. Because retailers have not found many ways to commercialize Thanksgiving beyond specials on turkeys and pumpkin pies we cannot expect much help from them in keeping the true spirit of Thanksgiving alive.
That is why it is important that we as Christians work hard to keep the true significance of Thanksgiving alive because Thanksgiving may actually be the closest thing we have to a pure religious holiday in this country. Hear me out. Christmas has become so commercialized that a growing number of children do not even know it is supposed to be about Jesus’ birth. Santa has trumped the Savior in most households. And the true meaning of Easter is even more veiled. Even fewer children growing up in this so-called Christian nation can make the leap from chocolate bunnies to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead on Easter Sunday.
Because Thanksgiving is harder to pollute with meaningless mascots and commercial frenzy, this holiday gives us as God’s people the unique opportunity to remind others what we all have to be thankful for and why so much of what we have to be thankful for points back to the benevolent blessings of God.
As God’s people, it is fitting that we do what we can to focus the thoughts of our nation upon the goodness of God to America as well s our families by offering our personal gratitude to Him for who He is and for all He has done for us. Thus, today and next Sunday Morning we will be focusing on this theme of Blessing the Lord. If you have your Bibles turn to Psalm 103, the passage we read responsively earlier in the service. Keep your Bibles open to this passage as we will reference several verses this morning.
But right now I would like to read Psalm 103 for you from the Contemporary English Version, a more modern day translation. While it does not possess the beauty or poetic rhythm of the King James Version, I think it puts this Psalm in terms that everyone can understand.
"With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I praise His holy name! With all my heart I will praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been. The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads. Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us strength of a young eagle.
For all who are mistreated, the Lord brings justice. He taught his law to Moses and showed all Israel what he could do. The Lord is merciful! He is kind and patient and his love never fails. The Lord won’t always be angry and point out our sins; he doesn’t punish us as our sins deserve.
How great is God’s love for all who worship him? Greater than the distance between heaven and earth! How far has the Lord taken our sins from us? Farther than the distance from east to west! Just as parents are kind to their children, the Lord is kind to all who worship him, because he knows we are made of dust.
We humans are like grass or wild flowers that quickly bloom. But a scorching wind blows and they quickly wither to be forever forgotten. The Lord is always kind to those who worship him, and he keeps his promises to their descendants who faithfully obey him. God has set up his kingdom in heaven, and he rules the whole creation. All of you mighty angels, who obey God’s commands, come and praise your Lord! All of you thousands who serve and obey God, come and praise your Lord! All of God’s creation and all that he rules, come and praise your Lord. With all my heart I praise the Lord!"
Someone has called Psalm 103 David’s "Hallelujah Chorus" because it offers such high and lofty praise to the Lord.
It is interesting how David begins this psalm. Most translations read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” What does that mean? We know the Lord blesses us. But how can we bless the Lord? And why is David speaking to his own soul? This is a grammatical device David is using to emphasize the importance of recognizing the blessings of God. David knew when we draw attention to God’s blessings we do indeed “bless the Lord”. And when we bless the Lord, we give a great witness for the Lord as others are pointed to consider the greatness and goodness of our God. So this morning, let’s think about how we can bless the Lord, especially during this Thanksgiving season.
TRANS: In the first two verses of this Psalm David gives us a great way we can bless the Lord at Thanksgiving. We can:
I. Bless the Lord by Counting our Blessings Instead of our Burdens (vv1-2)
EXP: It is important to note one of the reasons that Psalm 103 stands out as a great psalm is because it is a prayer of pure praise to God. There is no supplication, no request, no petition or plea in this prayer. David does not complain to God about his circumstances or his enemies. This psalm contains pure and unadulterated praise to God. David apparently was awestruck with God’s blessings when he wrote this psalm. We are not told the circumstances around which this Psalm was given to David, but it is not difficult to imagine how it happened. Looking around his life, counting his blessings instead of complaining about his burdens, it dawned upon David just how much God had done for him. He began to realize how good God had been and how undeserving he was of all these blessings. Springing up from within the depths of his heart and gushing out onto his parchment came this prayer of praise, this benediction expressing his gratitude towards the great graciousness and goodness of God. David wrote many Psalms complaining to the Lord about the burdens he bore. But for once, David thought it was important to just focus on his blessings instead of his burdens.
ILL: Perhaps this was the motivation behind an actual bill in Congress proposed by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri seeking to pass a resolution that would officially make the Wednesday before Thanksgiving "Complaint Free Wednesday." Cleaver, a Democrat who represents the Kansas City area, had this to say about the need for his legislation:
"From time to time, we all experience anxiety, frustration, stress, and regret.
And often, we respond to these feelings with a criticism or complaining.
Regrettably, complaining keeps people stuck on current problems, inhibiting them
from thinking constructively to find solutions. Research has also shown that
complaining can be harmful to one’s emotional and physical health, relationships
and can limit professional career success."
But this resolution, which was introduced in June, did not come up for consideration in Congress for lack of support. The bill only attracted two co-sponsors, Cleaver and a Missouri Republican Representative Samuel Graves, who introduced a similar resolution last year. It is also interesting that this bill drew national attention this week when conservative bloggers began complain about Congress wasting time on frivolous legislation citing this bill as one example.
APP: Now I do not know how much good it would do for Congress to pass a resolution discouraging complaining one day a year. But it is interesting that people complained about a resolution before Congress to ask Americans for one day a year to try to keep from complaining. Perhaps Americans value their right to complain more than some of our other more significant rights and freedoms. We probably don’t need the bill. But it might make Thanksgiving a more enjoyable holiday if we complained less and blessed more at least on this one day of the year.
APP: Now I am sure King David could have found some things to complain to the Lord about. I find it hard to believe as the King of the entire nation of Israel and the head of a rather large and dysfunctional family, that David could not think of any burdens to bring before the Lord. No doubt, even at this joyous moment, David could have made a rather long list of his burdens. But David chose not to because he did not want to forget any of the Lord’s benefits.
APP: In order to recognize just how great God is and how much He has blessed us perhaps we should go through a similar exercise this Thanksgiving. No matter how high the stack of unpaid bills is, no matter how small our bank balance, no matter how challenging our health concerns make our daily routine, no matter how many worries we harbor in our soul, like David, I believe we would all benefit from taking the time to step back from our concerns and recognize all the many spiritual and physical benefits we have to praise the Lord for. And when we take the time to do that, it blesses the Lord.
EXP: VV8-10 give us some suggestions concerning what we can all put on our “blessings list” if we are having a tough time getting started:
· We can bless the Lord for His compassion. V10 tells us God is so compassionate that He does not deal with us as our sins deserve. It was God’s compassion that caused Him to instruct Noah to construct an ark to save a remnant of mankind from the flood of His judgment against the wicked ways of man. And it was God’s compassion that also sent Jesus Christ to forgive our sin, become our Savior to give us the assurance of an eternal heavenly home. If you feel blessed by God’s compassion say AMEN.
· We can bless the Lord for His lovingkindness. V11 says the lovingkindness of God is so great that extends as far as heaven is above the earth. God’s lovingkindness is demonstrated in the everyday blessings of life. The fact that we are still breathing means we are enjoying God’s blessings. If you are blessed by the everyday blessings of God, say AMEN.
· We can bless the Lord for His willingness to not give us what we deserve by punishing us to the max for every sin we commit. I John 1:9 ought to give every believer a reason to bless the Lord. We serve a God who totally forgives our sin. If that makes your heart glad, say AMEN!
With a little bit of effort, all of us can follow David’s example by making a long list of things we can bless the Lord for instead of complaining about even if Rep. Cleaver’s bill does not pass Congress.
TRANS: Along with singing “Count Your Blessings” with more gusto, we can also:
II. Bless the Lord by Living a Spiritually Whole and Healthy Life (v3)
EXP: V3 tells us God has blessed us all with what we need to live spiritually whole and healthy lives. When God pardons all our sins and heals the diseases that plague the souls of man, God makes it possible for us to live a whole and spiritually healthy life that can rise above the accusations of the evil one.
ILL: One of the names given to the devil is “the accuser”. In Job we see Satan going before God to accuse Job. We have every reason to believe that he goes before God even now, and accuses us in a similar way. The devil likes to draw attention to our sins by saying to the Lord, "Look at what he said, look at what she did, these people of Yours are sinners, how can they say they really love You and continue to act like they do?" Sadly, Satan does not have to lie about us when he comes before the Lord accusing us of wrongdoing. There are enough faults in all of our lives that he simply has to point out the obvious. And I am sure the devil points out our sins with great glee. It must be the highlight of his pathetic day!
APP: But, praise God, we also have an Advocate. We have one who goes to the Father on our behalf. We have Jesus Christ the righteous. When the old devil accuses us, our Advocate, Jesus raises His nail pierced hand and says, "Just a minute" we see no stain of sin on that one or on that one or on that one, because they are mine, I have bought them with a price. And their sins, though they were indeed like scarlet stains have been washed white as snow. They belong to me and their sins are gone, forgiven, remembered no more (read v12).
APP: As David writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he understands that God forgives our sins. He sees believers as people who have been made whole because of their relationship with God. In v3 David reminds his soul that the Lord is more than willing to heal all our diseases of the soul. Many take this to mean physical healing. I believe that God heals, physically. That is why we life up prayer concerns for the sick in just about every service. While divine healing is a certainly a blessing, God’s ability to heal us spiritually is even more significant. Physical healing is not the kind of healing being spoken of here in our text. Remember who David is addressing. He is talking to his soul and is telling his soul that God heals all the diseases of the soul, sin being the chief among them.
APP: Does the soul have its diseases? Indeed it does. Fear, doubt, depression, anger, lust, hate jealously, pride, greed....and the list goes on and on. These soul diseases can all be traced back to our fallen nature and the effects of sin upon the human race. But God can give permanent healing to the soul that is diseased. And when we embrace the spiritual healing God offers our soul, we are able to live lives that truly bless the Lord because others can see through our lack of anger, hatred, greed and guilt that we are walking down a different path in life, the path of the divinely blessed. There is no power more able to heal the brokenhearted and bind up the wounds of the hurting than the power of our loving God. When we accept that spiritual power into our lives, we bless the Lord.
TRANS: Finally, David reminds us we can:
III. Bless the Lord by Living a Life Filled with Significance (vv4-5)
EXP: Look again at v4. Because God forgives our sins, because He gives us relationship, because He heals our soul’s diseases, He makes our life full and meaningful like nothing else available to us can. This verse can be rendered, "He keeps your life from going to waste."
How many people do you know who have wasted their life in pursuit of worldly things that do not matter or selfish things that only lead to destruction? Sadly, many people work hard seeking worldly pleasure and are surprised when they wake up one day empty, tired and feeling like there is no use going on with life. Many people also work hard to do what the world demands to be a success in life and end up feeling betrayed because the things they worked so hard to obtain fail to bring them the satisfaction they long for.
APP: But when God’s people trust the Lord to redeem their life from “the pit” and allow the Lord to satisfy them with the good things of God, they bless the Lord by demonstrating in their daily lives the significance God offers to all who will follow Him. And such examples of hope are desperately needed.
ILL: According to the National Association of Self Esteem, The teen suicide rate has more than doubled since 1968. In 2003, ten percent of adolescent boys and 18 percent of girls have attempted suicide. But approximately 60% of teens recently polled said they have contemplated it. Why is teen suicide spiking? The reason ought to be obvious. Teens are finding less reason to live. Teens conclude from observing adults that this world does not offer any hope for meaningful life. And they are right! Money, material possessions, power and status do not guarantee happiness. But faith in God can transform any life into one of eternal significance as we become a part of God’s redemption plan for the ages.
APP: Teens and adults in our sphere of influence desperately need role models who are living lives filled with significance because of their relationship with the Lord. They need to learn from our lives the purpose for living only God can give. Only faith in Christ keeps our lives from going to waste. When we place our faith in the Lord and seek to live for Him, regardless of who we are or what we do or do not have, our lives are lived with an eternal sense of purpose and meaning. All lives not lived in Christ are only a shell of what they are intended to be. Only faith in Christ can make our lives count for eternity. When we seek to live meaningful lives as a witness to others of God’s goodness we do indeed bless the Lord.
CONCLUSION
Let me conclude today’s message by giving you five practical suggestions to consider as you seek to bless the Lord this Thanksgiving and, hopefully, every other day of the year as well:
1. Be aware - Forget not His benefits - notice all the good things God is doing for you and with you. Do not allow the world to keep you focused on the sin-tainted bad. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you recognize God’s goodness in everyday life.
2. Be honest - Don’t be a phony God-praiser. We do not have to pretend to praise the Lord when bad things happen to us. But even in the midst of the most horrible circumstances, we can still find reasons to give praise to our God. Phony God-praisers can turn people off. But sincere believers who can see God’s blessings in the midst of trials can be truly inspirational to others.
3. Be grateful - There is nothing that encourages praise like gratitude. When we cultivate a grateful heart we will always find plenty of things to praise the Lord for.
4. Be vocal - Tell someone when and how God blesses you. You can bless others with a testimony highlighting the goodness of God.
5. Be consistent - Make praise a part of your every day experience.
If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord you are a God blessed believer. But are you a God blessing believer? Are you able to see the blessings of the Lord in spite of life’s challenges and tragedies? Do you enjoy the benefits faith in God provides and live as a testimony to God’s lovingkindness? Are you living a meaningful life and satisfied life as a key player in God’s redemptive plan? If not, you are missing out on the joy and peace God intends us all to have. Come and discover the goodness of the Lord. Then you will be able to say with David, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name.”
PRAYER
INVITATION
If you find your life lacking in God’s blessings, why not come and receive what the Lord has for you? God wants your life to be full and meaningful too. As we stand to sing our invitation hymn, come and receive what only the Lord can give you.
