FORGET NOT

FORGET NOT
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭103‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits….”

If we ever need a list of things to make us thankful, it is here. Nothing like counting our blessings to lift us out of a jaded or depressed spirit. Why dwell on things that burden us when we can bring to mind things that liberate us? Let us dive in.

Firstly, there are the physical and material blessings. We were unwell, and we recovered. We were hungry, and we had food. God heals our diseases and satisfies our mouths with good things. Secondly, our minds are vexed by conflicts and injustices. God will see to righteousness and justice. We can trust him to do it. In his time, he will right all wrongs.

Thirdly, our hearts are burdened by problems of all kinds. When will they ever be resolved? We have a Father who cares for us. With compassion, he feels with us and for us. That lightens our load. Finally, and the best of all, God by his steadfast love has taken care of our sins for all eternity. As the hymn-writer Horatio Spafford reminds us in “It is Well with my Soul” (1873):

“My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part but the whole
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh, my soul.”

When the existential threat of monumental proportions has been averted, when life’s worst problem has been resolved, what else is there to really worry us? Let us bring to mind God’s steadfast love that extends to the highest heavens, and our sins and their consequences which have been cast to the farthest horizons.

The worst is gone, and the best is still with us. We may forget many things, but these benefits or blessings we must never forget. We turn to God in gratitude and bless him. We call on our soul and “all my innermost being” (Ps 103.1 NIV) to worship the Lord. Then, even the most stubborn of worries will fade away.

Forget not, remember God’s blessings.