“Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits -” Psalm 103:2 (NIV)
I recently was drawn back to thank the Lord for ALL OF HIS BENEFITS! These are ours, NOW, but the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. We are to reclaim these benefits, every one of them! But the enemy constantly comes against them, against you. He does not want you to walk in freedom, in your calling, in your purpose or destiny, and he will lie, deceive and destroy anywhere he can to prevent you from stepping into who God has created you to be. So, forgot not all His benefits…
Our forgiveness (v3)
When we repent we are completely cleansed of every sin, washed of all our iniquities and released from every transgression (1 John 1:9). We do not have to keep coming back and asking for forgiveness over and over again. When we confess our sins, they are removed from us, washed from us through the blood of Jesus, as far as the east is to the west (Psalm 103:12). When guilt, shame and condemnation linger, it is a sign that the devil is working to deceive you (Romans 8:1). And when you do sin, confess it and He will forgive you, full stop!
Our healing (v3)
What Jesus did on the cross was more than just cancel the written code that stood against us (Colossians 2:13-15), He healed us. We were/are healed through His stripes (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24). The flesh that was torn off of His human frame had a purpose. His scourging was terrible, it was deep lacerations to the bone, ribs and organs, front and back, face and legs! He was literally ripped apart for our healing! And our healing isn’t just future, it is now. But the enemy comes to kill steal, destroy and to wear us down (John 10:10, Daniel 7:25) to believe that our current pain, sickness or condition is the way it is going to be. Remember, Satan is a liar, and your healing is already been paid for through Jesus’ stripes and cross!
Our deliverance (v4)
You have been redeemed from the pit, but the enemy keeps so many in bondage because of our ignorance! Too many in the Body of Christ have just come to accept anxiety, fear, worry, addiction, lust, etc., are just the way it is in this world. The truth is, you are meant to be free from these lying shackles. Even in the Old Testament, a benefit of knowing God was freedom from demonic oppression! How much more since Jesus through the cross defeated the devil and all his cohorts (Colossians 2:13-15)?
Our comfort (v4)
Our good Father wants to crown us with comfort, compassion and love. He does not desire for us to live in suffering. Though there is suffering in this world, and at times we must walk through it, the enemy wants us to believe that our pain and suffering are just the way it is meant to be. God wants to crown you with compassion, love and comfort, even right now!
Our wealth (v5)
Our good and generous Father wants us to break out of the poverty mindset that the enemy has brainwashed us with. The reality is, just enough is never enough! Even David wrote that the good Shepherd makes sure that every need is met (Psalm 23). In Psalm 103:5 we’re told that “He satisfies our desires with good things.” I believe that God desires us to live in abundance, but He will only entrust us with as much as we will steward well for Him and His kingdom. Ask the Lord to expose and tear out of you any root of the poverty spirit, or of greed, selfishness. Surrender your “gold and silver” to Him, for His glory!
Our youthfulness (v5)
Our good Father desires us to live youthfully! The culmination of living cleansed of our sin, healed of our sickness, delivered from demonic oppression, crowned with His compassion and love, and embracing the wealth that He intended for us, leads us to youthfulness. The weights we carry cost us, physically, emotionally and spiritually, and are very real. We are not to live in worry, stress, fear, anxiety, poverty, because each of these are shackles that rob us of life. Shake them off and walk in the youthfulness He desires for you! Declare that your youthfulness will be/is restored!
Take some time to meditate more on this passage. It is absolutely striking that these promises were made before Jesus won for us the ultimate victory. What they experienced in the Old Testament was just a shadow of what Jesus provided for us. Pray about each of these areas in your life. Where you don’t currently see them operating, declare them as true in your life right now. Repent for any place you have agreed with the enemy. Declare that the enemy is a liar and that your renounce every one of his lies in your life. Pray it over your marriage, over your family, and over your church! Declare the benefits of the LORD over our city!
