Through the Word in 2020 #58 - June 22 / Reminding Ourselves

Out of sight, out of mind - so the saying goes. And nowhere is that more true than it is in our apprehension of God and His goodness as a constant, living reality to our souls. So it is in Psalm 103, David finds a need to remind himself of who and what God is and has done, in order to restore an ongoing, inward atmosphere of worship. A sort of spiritual string around the finger of his soul. More on that in a minute in Through the Word in 2020. I’m Reid Ferguson.

Our 4 readings today are: Luke 1:26–38; Ephesians 4:17–32; Psalm 103; 2 Kings 17:1–18:12

As I already noted, it is Psalm 103 I’d like to fix our minds on for these few minutes we have together.

As I woke this morning and went to prayer, I was aware of a number of very weighty and pressing concerns on my mind. And I knew I needed more strength than my own to manage them. How grateful I was then to come to this Psalm as part of today’s reading.

That Prince of the Victorian preachers - as he is called - Charles Spurgeon once wrote: "It is no idle occupation...to get alone, and in your own hearts to magnify the Lord; to make him great to your mind, to your affections; great in your memory, great in your expectations. It is one of the grandest exercises of the renewed nature. You need not, at such a time, think of the deep questions of Scripture, and may leave the abstruse doctrines to wiser heads, if you will; but if your very soul is bent on making God great to your own apprehension, you will be spending time in one of the most profitable ways possible to a child of God. Depend upon it, there are countless holy influences which flow from the habitual maintenance of great thoughts of God, as there are incalculable mischiefs which flow from our small thoughts of him. The root of false theology is belittling God; and the essence of true divinity is greatening God, magnifying him, and enlarging our conceptions of his majesty and his glory to the utmost degree.”

That is the business David is about in this Psalm. And I would commend it to you today, especially if you are feeling in any way confused, overwhelmed, exhausted or sorrowful.

Let’s rehearse David’s catalog of 12 of God’s benefits in this passage.

1 - (3) There is no species of sin beyond the power of His forgiveness. None. We have forgiveness, not just of individual sins, but of our very sinfulness.

2 - (3) There is no species of suffering brought on by sin, that is beyond His mercy, power and willingness to heal.

The word for diseases here is only used 5 times in the OT - and is always attached to the griefs the Lords lays upon people in punishment for sins.

3 - (4) The promise of resurrection.

4 - (4) The reality of God’s steadfast - not vacillating - love and mercy.

5 - (5) His desire to give us only those things which are a true blessing to us, and not decay to our souls.

6 - (6) The promise of a day of complete justice.

7 - (7) His self-revelation.

8 - (8) His imperturbable nature. He isn’t cranky or easily ticked-off.

9 - (10) Dealing with us according to grace and mercy because His justice is satisfied in Christ.

10 - (13) His compassion on our weakness. He expects us to live as redeemed, but not as perfected yet.

11 - (17) Everlasting love.

12 - (19) Divine superintendency over all which concerns us.

Remind yourself today of His great benefits. Let them lift your soul up again and breathe freshness into you.

This is your God Christian. And He has not left you lacking in any way.

God bless. And God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.