October 12

Psalm 103 Regularly we must remind ourselves of the benefits of following the Lord. Otherwise, we get wrapped up in our challenges and forget to bless Him. If we took the time to find an example of each of the things David mentions, the result would be a lengthy book. But we should do a few anyway, in so doing we see His glory and bless His holy name. He forgives all my iniquities. Dare I air my dirty laundry? Before Him I have confessed them. If I commit public sins, I will confess them as sin publicly. If I commit private sins, I will confess them privately to God. If there is a sin that seems to have a bind on me, I will find a partner to whom I can confess and who will help me in the struggle of overcoming. (Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much James 5:16.) Suffice it to say that, according to God’s standard, I have broken every one of the Ten Commandments multiple times. Apart from His forgiveness, I stand condemned before a holy God. Yet, He has forgiven me because He died and rose again on my behalf. I could stop the list right here and that would be enough to bless Him for eternity. He heals all my diseases. In the past He has healed me of Pneumonia, flus, colds, back injuries, ankle injuries, shoulder injuries, knee injuries, mononucleosis, ear infections, but on this earth He will not heal me of all diseases. I will still age; I will still die. That is one thing that I have in common with all who can read or will read this book. We will age and die, but as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the right to come before His throne and ask if He might heal us now. He might say, “Yes.” He might say, “No,” or “Not now.” But as a believer in the Lord Jesus, He will one day grace me with a new body that will never see disease. He redeems my life from destruction as described in the last sentence, but He also has redeemed me on other occasions that are now past. Laura and I were driving on I-70 in the middle of the night. We hit black ice. There was a semi in front of us and behind us. The car began to spin out of control at 65 mph. Somehow we ended up in a snow bank with absolutely no injuries. Snow was packed up around the engine under the hood. A Highway patrolman appeared almost immediately, helped dig us out and sent us on our way with this instruction, “The highway is covered with black ice between here and the state border. Take the next exit and find a motel.” I don’t think our missing the semis or his appearance were accidents, rather they were His hand of redemption from destruction. He crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies. On a few occasions in my life, I can recall where His Spirit has whispered to my spirit, “I love You.” They were those experiences where words cannot express the bliss of the experience. I would walk through hell to experience it again. He satisfies my mouth with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s. You know, sometimes I get really weary. I just want to lay down and quit. But He won’t let me. In the nick of time, He always provides what I need. It might be a vacation; it might be a retreat; it might be a prayer summit; it might be an encouraging friend; it might be just His refreshing presence. I am 57 years old. My life has been brief and will soon be over. Fifty-seven years from now, my grandchildren might think of me on occasion, but they will probably be the only ones. One hundred years from now, no one on earth (if it is still here) will think of me or remember me, or care, but the Lord will. As the flowers which I buy for my wife today will be gone tomorrow, so I will soon be gone. But He will call me to His eternal home, and there I will literally dwell with Him forever. Bless the LORD, O my soul! LORD, You are glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john