Psalm 103: Why Every Christian Can Be Extremely Optimistic

Introduction

Traffic problems? https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/30/tomatoes-highway-chaos-california-truck-crash

Traffic problems in Charleston too… YET… one of top retirement places in country. 28 people to the metro area a day… Why? Pros of living in south..

Pros and cons of living in the south… We’re always evaluating pros/cons. Every decision - “What are the benefits?” And, “What are the drawbacks?”

Psalm 103 - David lists the benefits of walking with God - He gives the pros, but there are no cons. There’s no drawbacks to following God. Think about that: List out the pros/cons of following God. What are the cons? Maybe some persecution? Paul and the other apostles counted it a pro, not a con, to suffer for Jesus. (e.g., Colossians 1:24, Romans 5:3)

If following Jesus guarantees multiple benefits, then you can be extremely optimistic about the life God has given you.

Pessimistic - Glass is always half-empty. Optimistic - Glass is always half-full. Optimist are hopeful. Optimist believe good things are on the way.

I know life is hard, and I know that some of us get beaten down by life. Very easy to be pessimistic - Broken world, problems that don’t seem to go away, attitude: “Life’s never going to get better.” BUT, Christians can be extremely optimistic. Yes, a broken world, but we know how the story is going to turn out. You know how your story is going to turn out. I want you to be optimistic about what God is doing in your life.

This morning, two reasons why you can be extremely optimistic.

Your greatest problem is behind you.

Israelites in exile need some optimism. Psalms in Book 4 - reminder that God is the King on the throne at work for His people. Psalms 93-100 reminders that there has never been a time in Israel’s history that God has not been reigning. Psalm 101 and Psalm 103, psalms of David. Reminders from the great king of Israel who points us to the King to come - you have every reason to be hopeful and optimistic.

David - some Psalms seem pessimistic. “My God, why have you abandoned me?” (Ps. 22:1) But, even when David laments, there’s always hope. “I will trust you.”

This psalm extremely optimistic. Likely written towards the end of his life - he looks back and considers his successes and his failures, and he remembers that there hasn’t been a time when God has not been faithful to him.

vs. 1 - David talking to himself. Vs. 1-5 are personal. “My soul, bless the Lord...” Sometimes you need to remind yourself to bless the Lord. Each day, you can choose to bless God, or you can choose to ignore God.

vs. 2 - “Do not forget all his benefits.” David can’t list all the benefits of God in a single psalm, but he at least helps us to think about some of the benefits of a relationship with God.

If you were to list the benefits of a relationship with God, where would you start? David: “He forgives...” Honestly, he doesn’t get much further than that. Why? David knew his failures - Ps. 51 - his own sin with Bathsheba - absolute rebellion against God’s plan for his life. He knew the failures of the Hebrews - complaining and idolatry. In exile, the Israelites knew their sin: idolatry. Yet, God forgives ALL iniquity.

Forgiveness = God doesn’t hold your rebellion against you. Instead of casting you aside, He invites you in.

You forget how amazing grace really is. You might have lots of problems in this life, but your greatest problem was separation from God. You stood guilty before God because of your rebellion. You deserved hell, yet you got heaven instead. You got grace. You got a Savior who died the death you deserve and rose again to give you life. God has forgiven you of all your sins. You are in right standing with the God of all creation and guaranteed eternity with Him.

Heals all your diseases - In His time… Sin destroys us, grace gives us life. A day coming that you are completely restored - disease will never touch your body again.

Redeems from the pit - Your sin puts you in the pit - the consequences of sin - you’ve made a mess of your life and said, “How will I ever get out of this mess?” God PULLS you out of the mess and instead of saying, “How could you?”, He crowns you with love.

He satisfies you with good things - your youth renewed. Your heart soars - the burden of sin is lifted. Rom. 8:1 - No condemnation. God WILL NOT eternally judge His children.

David thinks not only of his own salvation, he thinks about the salvation of his nation. (vs. 6-10) God worked on behalf of His people by bringing them out of Egypt, and He was going to do it again. He was going to bring the exiles out of Babylon.

David thinks back to Exodus - quotes Ex. 34:5-7. Moses on Mt. Sinai cutting two stone tablets AGAIN because Moses broke the first two when came down from Sinai and saw that the people had chosen idolatry - a golden calf - because they thought Moses left them when he went on Sinai.

God should have wiped Israel off the map. But, He didn’t. Why? Because of a promise: Gen. 3:15. He was going to defeat Satan and save His people. David knew the promise. David knew the promise continued through him.

Ex. 34:5: God came down in a cloud and stood with Moses and passed in front of Moses and said, “vs. 6-7.” David remembers and quotes.

Slow to anger - God is patiently enduring with all of your foolery. He puts up with you, AND He abounds in faithful love toward you. Nothing you can do that will stop God from loving you.

vs. 10 - God doesn’t deal with you as you deserve. Do not repay you for your iniquities. Grace, grace, grace! He continues to daily give you what you do not deserve.

You have every reason to be optimistic because if you’re a follower of Jesus, your greatest problem is behind you.

If you’re going through difficulties - look around you and say, “My greatest problems are around me. My health is failing, my marriage is falling apart, I’m financially ruined, I can’t make the grade, I didn’t make the team, so-and-so is mad at me...” etc. Whatever problem you are experiencing is NOT your greatest problem.

Look ahead: you fear greatest problems are AHEAD of you.

Instead, it’s behind you. You’ve been made right with God. Greatest problem taken care of. Therefore:

I can view life with the eyes of an optimist. Woe is me vs. Whatever happens in this life, I win. NOTHING can happen in this life that will cause you to lose. The worst that can happen to you is that you win.

I can speak with Gospel optimism. Am I going to spread Good News or bad news? Think of all the bad news you typically share. “Woe is me” vs. “God is good to me.”

I can live in optimistic faith. Life will continue to be full of problems, but since my greatest problem has been dealt with, I can trust view all my problems through the lens of God’s Word. I can trust and obey.

Site at Walmart - Christmas decorations - Nobody wants to go to Walmart but you end up there. Reminder that something is coming...

Your greatest days are ahead of you.

David not done… Overwhelmed by the grace and mercy of God.

vs. 11 - height of God’s love vs. lowliness of your love. God’s unconditional love vs. your lukewarm love. You’re hot and cold, yet God’s love for you is never fickle or lukewarm.

vs. 12 - sin removed as far as the east is from the west. God doesn’t bring it back up. He removes it. “Remembers sin no more” (Hebrews 8:12). God doesn’t forget anything, but He treats you as it is forgotten.

Why would God treat you this way? Because He’s a good Father. Think story of the prodigal son. The father didn’t rub his son’s face in his sin. Why? That’s not what a loving father does. A loving father wants a relationship with his children, and a loving father wants the best for his children.

That’s what you have - a loving Father who wants the best for you. Not only does He wants what’s best for you, your Heavenly Father does what your earthly Father cannot do: He plans your steps for His glory and your good. He numbers your days. He knows exactly what He will do in your life to make you more like His Son.

Your days are numbered - like grass (Ps. 90) - But God’s love for you is eternal. Your life will end - but God’s eternal love will bring you through this earthly life into your eternal life. Your brief life will be forgotten on this earth, but God will never forget you. He will sustain you for eternity.

Vs, 19 - the King rules from His throne - He rules over all - He will bring you to His presence.

vs. 20-22. “Bless the Lord - all of His created beings - because of what God has done.” He has brought you out of the pit of despair and placed you into His eternal family.

I can be optimistic because if I know that my greatest problem is behind me, and the love of the Father is abounding to me, then my greatest days must be ahead of me. Even if the days ahead of me are full of trials and struggles, God will be faithful. God will complete in me what He has started.

If I know this to be true, some commitments I must make to live with Gospel optimism:

I will not let temporary discomfort rob me of my eternal joy. The grief and pain is real, but it’s not forever. I will keep eternal perspective.

I will not let past or present sin keep me from pursuing present holiness. “I’m not worthy of His love.” You’re not. It’s a gift. Don’t waste the gift by beating yourself up. Instead, get up, and pursue the life God has for you. God has taken care of your sin penalty! Live like it!

I will not let bad news rob me of the joy of the Good News. Here’s why some of us are so pessimistic - we’re drawn to the bad. Always thinking worst case scenario. Some of you need to turn off the bad news. You’re too consumed by negativity - stop. You’re drawn to the negativity instead of drawn to truth of the Gospel.

I will not let hurtful people keep me from a helpful God AND helpful people. Some of you are constantly letting yourself be influenced by the wrong people instead of the right people.

I will not let the enemy blind me from daily seeing the resurrected Lord. Enemy is a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8) The enemy wants you to stay pessimistic - focusing on problems, hurt, pain, and defeat rather than victory in Jesus.

Not a follower of Jesus? Greatest problem in your life is that you are on the verge of eternal judgment for your rebellion against God. Today, that problem can be taken care of. You can believe that because God loves you, is patient with you, and slow to anger, He has provided a way for you to be forgiven of your sins: Jesus. Believe that He died and rose again for you and discover that you can live a life of joy and Gospel optimism as you discover your best days are ahead of you.