INTRO.- Listen to the prayers of some children.
ILL.- Dear God: Please send a new baby for Mommy. The new baby you sent last week cries too much. Debbie, 7
- Dear God: This is my prayer. Could you please give my brother some brains? So far he doesn’t have any. Angela, 8
- Dear God: Please help me in school. I need help in spelling, adding, history, geography and writing. I don’t need help in anything else. Lois, 9
Most of us rejoice in the prayers of children. They are not afraid to say what is on their mind; to God and to most people. They are very uninhibited when it comes to asking anything of God.
Have you noticed how often that most of our prayers are “asking” prayers? While it is true that we are encouraged to ask of God, there is more to prayer than just asking.
Ephesians 5:19-20 "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
I Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
It should be obvious to us that God wants us to be thankful people, thankful to Him and thankful to all.
ILL.- Have you complimented anyone lately? Have you praised anyone lately? Someone said, "A compliment can be a great motivator, particularly if you put a little thought into the why, when, and how of delivering it. Be sure to comment whenever someone keeps working in the face of rejection, handles a difficult situation well, catches an error, gives another employee a helping hand, etc.
"Most of the time, a compliment should be given in public, either at a meeting or on the company bulletin board. If the situation is delicate, convey your praise through a personal note that the employee can share with his family. As with all rewards, praise should be given immediately after good performance to provide the greatest reinforcement."
GOOD ADVICE! Many people die from lack of praise. It’s not that we personally should go around looking for praise, but many people deserve praise and seldom get it! And praise blesses and motivates people like nothing else!
ILL.- A man said, "Recently my wife and I sat charmed at an outdoor performance by young Suzuki violin students. After the concert, an instructor spoke briefly on how children as young as two, three and four years old are taught to play violin. The first thing the children learn, he said, is a proper stance. And the second thing the children learn--even before they pick up the violin--is how to take a bow. ‘If the children just play the violin and stop, people may forget to show their appreciation,’ the instructor said.
"‘But when the children bow, the audience invariably applauds. And applause is the best motivator we’ve found to make children feel good about performing and want to do it well.’"
DID YOU HEAR THAT? Applause motivates people to do well. And everyone needs to be applauded occasionally. Everyone needs to be complimented or praised for the good they do. Please don’t wait to give it! Do it immediately! Do it quickly. Do it sincerely. And the same definitely holds true for God our Father. IF ANYONE DESERVES PRAISE, HE DOES!
We need to be in the praising business when it comes to our Father. He is quick to do us good, but are we quick to give thanks? We ask often, but how often do we just praise him?
ILL.- "What can I do for you, Madam?" Abraham Lincoln asked an elderly lady who had been ushered into his private office. Placing a covered basket on the table she said, "Mr. President, I have come here today not to ask any favor for myself or for anyone else. I heard that you were very fond of cookies, and I came here to bring you this basket of cookies!"
Tears trickled down the gaunt face of the great President. He stood speechless for a moment; then he said, "My good woman, your thoughtful and unselfish deed greatly moves me. Thousands have come into this office since I became President, but you are the first person to bring something instead asking for something."
Brothers and sisters, there is a time when we need to come to our Father in praise only, not asking for anything. Simply praising. Blessing Him. Thanking Him. This is exactly what Psalm 103 is all about. It’s praise only. No petitions. No pleading. No asking. Just praise.
PROP.- From our text let’s think about the blessings from God for which we should praise Him.
1- The blessing of forgiveness
2- The blessing of redemption
3- The blessing of fulfillment
I. THE BLESSING OF FORGIVENESS
V. 2-3 "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases." The Lord forgives. He is quick to forgive, unlike some human beings.
ILL.- A visitor from across the mountain leaned on the rail fence, watching his old friend plow. "I don’t like to butt in,” he finally said, “but you could save yourself a lot of work by saying ‘gee’ and ‘haw’ to that mule instead of just tuggin’ on them lines."
The old timer pulled a big handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his brow. "Yep, I know that," he agreed, "but this mule kicked me six years ago, and I ain’t spoke to him since."
Some people are pretty bad when it comes to holding grudges. They never want to let go of anything that any living thing does to them, human or animal.
ILL.- General Oglethorpe once said to preacher John Wesley, "I never forgive and I never forget." To which Wesley replied, "Then, Sir, I hope you never sin."
It’s sad to think that some people never forgive and never forget. Such people are bound to live miserable lives. We need to be thankful that our God is not like that. GOD WANTS TO FORGIVE US BECAUSE HE IS LOVE! He is quick to forgive! When we respond to Him, He responds quickly to us in forgiveness.
ILL.- Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was reminded one day of a vicious deed that someone had done to her years before. But she acted as if she had never even heard of the incident. "Don’t you remember it?" her friend asked. "No," came Barton’s reply, "I distinctly remember forgetting it." Doesn’t this sound like someone else?
Heb. 8:12 "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
God is in the forgiving and forgetting business. God forgives us in Christ.
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
I Peter 2:24 "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."
II Cor. 5:21 "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us. so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
We must trust in the forgiveness of our sins that we have in Christ. It is because of Him that we are forgiven! IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF WHO WE ARE THAT WE ARE FORGIVEN! It is not because we are decent, American Christians that we are forgiven! NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT! It is because of Christ that we are forgiven. Salvation is the result of the Savior, not self!
Vs. 8-10 "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve...." Wow! Amazing!
Why will God not treat us as our sins deserve? And we do deserve punishment for our sins. It’s because of His amazing grace! That’s why! God is compassionate. God is loving...abounding in love. God is slow to become angry. God is patient. God is gracious. God is merciful. It’s because of who God is that He will not treat us as our sins deserve! It’s not because of us. It’s all because of Him!
Romans 4:7-8 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
Bless His name! Praise Him! Thank you! Thank you!
ILL.- When the books of a certain Scottish doctor were examined after his death, it was found that a number of accounts were crossed out with a note: "Forgiven - too poor to pay." But the doctor’s wife demanded that these accounts be paid and proceeded to sue for the money. The judge asked one question: "Is this your husband’s handwriting?" When she replied that it was, the judge said, "Then there is no court in the land that can get this money since he has written, ‘Forgiven.’"
FORGIVEN. TOO POOR TO PAY. Brothers and sisters, that’s us! We are too poor to pay the price for our sins. That’s why Christ paid the price for us! PRAISE HIS BLESSED NAME!
II. THE BLESSING OF REDEMPTION
V. 4 "Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion."
Psalm 40:1-2 "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."
Normally, when we think of redemption we think of our eternal redemption from sin through Christ. But we are also redeemed from the slimy pit of circumstances where we sometimes find ourselves.
ILL.- For example, the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 is a slimy pit experience. The prodigal son wasted all of his money in wild living. He ended up in the hog lot, so to speak, eating dinner with hogs. And he said, "This is the pits!" He didn’t’t exactly say those words, but probably something similar. He may have said, "This is slop." When he finally came to his senses he decided to go back home and live like one of his father’s servants. He figured they were living better than he was. He was humbled and even humbled himself further by admitting he had sinned. He was going home. And he had a father at home who loved him dearly and was anxiously waiting for him to return.
Many people experience living in the pits, the slimy pits. And God does redeem people from the pit. He can redeem people from pit living.
ILL.- It’s called "Amazing Grace." Christian recording artist Táta Vega found hope and healing from her painful past. Táta, 48, has released 12 albums-her most recent is her third Christian recording, Now I See (Qwest Records). She’s been a powerful vocalist on the movie soundtracks for The Color Purple, The Lion King, and Forrest Gump. She’s worked with top mainstream artists Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Quincy Jones, as well as toured with gospel-great Andraé Crouch.
But despite her success, Táta’s experienced enough trauma to warrant a storyline from a soap opera. Raped and impregnated at the age of 15, Táta gave birth, then left home to go to California to be a movie star when she was 16-and ended up homeless.
She was abducted, raped, and impregnated again; she became promiscuous and had several abortions and miscarriages; she married a man who introduced her to crack cocaine. When they finally divorced, Táta was left with a young daughter, Chloe, to raise alone.
Táta’s struggled with her self-esteem, with anger at her parents, and with her role as a single parent. Yet despite the pain of her past, today Táta joyfully demonstrates how God’s love finally brought the peace she so desperately needed. "If my story helps even one woman discover the awesome grace God pours out on broken, hurting people, then my experience has been worth it," says Táta.
God’s transforming power turned her life around. She said, “I started to search for something spiritual to fill my void. I visited mediums and consulted Ouija boards. I talked to spirits in seances. I tried soul traveling and self-realization.
"Although I met people who called themselves Christians and who were witnessing out on the streets, they told me, "You’re going to hell!" I thought, If that’s what a Christian is, hasta la vista. I didn’t want any part of that!
"Meanwhile, I was in a band and we needed a guitar player. This guy, Jay Leach, from Wichita, Kansas, auditioned. And he was really different. We were all smoking and drinking and doing everything you could imagine, but not Jay. He had a Bible. We really liked his playing and asked him to join the band. And Jay said, ’I’m going to pray about it.’ Pray about it? Was this guy from outer space? But Jay joined. During the breaks when we were in the clubs, he’d be in the corner at a table reading his Bible. He never said a thing to put us down; he just lived his life the way God called him to live it. As I watched him, I realized he had something I didn’t have. And it was appealing.
"Somehow, I don’t know how he did it, but Jay got me to go to church. Easter Sunday, 1974, at this little church, I just started sobbing uncontrollably and asked Jesus to come into my life."
Brothers and sisters, it’s called "redemption from the pit." And it happens to people who turn sincerely to the Lord. Thank God for deliverance, for redemption from the pit!
III. THE BLESSING OF FULFILLMENT
V. 5 "Who satisfied your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s."
The Psalmist says that God satisfies our desires with good things. I find that quite interesting. Normally, we don’t think in terms of getting our desires fulfilled. But God certainly does give us good things.
James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above..."
ILL.- Nearly every time I have gone back to Joplin, MO, to take care of business since my mother passed away, I have driven by our old house at 302 Forest Street in Webb City, MO. It’s not the same house where mother lived the last 16 years of her life, however. That house is much nicer. The old house where I lived sure looks dumpy and run down these days. It wasn’t much when I lived there, but it looks a lot worse now. Junky, cluttered all around, etc.
Even though it wasn’t all that great when I lived there, it was home. It was comfortable to me. It was where I ate, slept, played, listened to the radio before TV, listened to mom and dad, and was loved by mom and dad. It was home. I was blessed.
We are blessed and often don’t even realize it. Even the poorest of us are blessed. We have so much and see so little. It seems that when we had so little we could see far better.
ILL.- John Wesley was about 21 years of age when he went to Oxford University. He came from a Christian home, and he was gifted with a keen mind and good looks. Yet in those days he was a bit snobbish and sarcastic. One night, however, something happened that set in motion a change in Wesley’s heart. While speaking with a porter, he discovered that the poor fellow had only one coat and lived in such impoverished conditions that he didn’t even have a bed. Yet he was an unusually happy person , filled with gratitude to God.
Wesley, being immature, thoughtlessly joked about the man’s misfortunes. "And what else do you thank God for?" he said with a touch of sarcasm. The porter smiled, and in the spirit of meekness replied with joy, "I thank Him that He has given me my life and being, a heart to love Him, and above all a constant desire to serve Him!" Deeply moved, Wesley recognized that this man knew the meaning of true thankfulness.
Sometimes those who have the least, see best and praise the most.
God does bless us with good things. No question about it. If you question it, you are wrong. You are blind. Now this business of having our youth renewed is something that I’m not so sure about!!! Are we to believe that our youthfulness can actually be renewed? I think the mind can be renewed, but I’m not so sure about the body.
When I was running well my body was somewhat renewed. I felt like a young man and even better. But now? That’s another story. But even when the body fades the mind and spirit can be renewed in Christ. THANK GOD!
Isaiah 40:31 "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Thank God for the renewal He brings into our lives. Thank God for any renewal that He brings and especially, the spiritual renewal which makes us into better people. PRAISE HIS NAME!
CONCLUSION--------------------------------------
ILL.- Sally Poskevich of Sioux City, Iowa, said, "My husband, Paul, and I have been married 49 years, and he’s thanked me with a kiss for every meal I’ve made. It doesn’t matter if it’s toast for breakfast or steak for dinner-he always remembers. When he worked, he thanked me for the lunch I packed even before he knew what was in it. I’ve made more than a few disastrous meals over those years. For those he gave me an extra kiss-‘for the effort’, he said. Our granddaughter calculated that Paul has thanked me 53,655 times!"
I wonder how many times we have thanked God for the meals He has provided for us. I wonder how many times we have thanked God for anything good in our lives. There are times when we just need to thank Him. Nothing else. Just thank Him.
