 BY PASTOR T. O. BANSO
âBless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefitsâ (Psalm 103:2 New King James Version).
Psalm 103 is attributed to David. He spoke to himself to bless the LORD and not to forget all (not some of) His benefits or blessings. Probably he said this because people easily forgot the benefits of the LORD.
Even today, in their ingratitude, people sometimes take credit for the benefits of the Lord. You must always remember that there are people who have what you have â Âintelligence, connections, etc. â and did what you did but got a different result. Give thanks to the Lord.
The benefits of the Lord are not rights; theyâre the kindnesses, gifts, and favour of the Lord. In Psalm 103, David remembered and listed the benefits of the LORD, which certainly were not exhaustive. He was grateful.
Psalm 68:19 says, âBlessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!â (NKJV). You should be grateful to God for His daily load of benefits. Donât let your ingratitude stop their continued supply.
If you realize that remembering all the benefits of the Lord does not benefit the Lord but you, youâll emulate David. Donât become familiar with the blessings and the kindnesses of the Lord. Make it a lifestyle not to forget His benefits. Here are ten benefits of continually remembering the benefits of the Lord:
The 10 Benefits
1. It constantly reminds you of the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord to you in the past and moves you to continually thank Him. A forgetful person will be ungrateful. The psalmist asked, âWhat shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me?â (Psalm 116:12 New King James Version). And in the subsequent verses, he said what he would do â praise Him, show Him gratitude. That is the right thing to do.
We canât thank the Lord enough, but we can demonstrate our gratitude. Ingratitude is a sin. When you remember the blessings of the Lord, youâll be indebted to Him and want to praise Him more.
2. It keeps you humble. Benefits are not what you achieved or deserved, but kindness bestowed on you. If you see a man who is proud because of his wealth, position, or status, it is most probably because he doesnât see any of these things as a benefit, the blessing of the Lord; he sees it as his personal accomplishment. However, he could have done all he did but got a different result. Jesus reminded Pilate, âYou could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from aboveâ (John 19:11a New King James Version). No man can receive anything except it is given to him from above (John 3:27).
Donât be proud. Learn from Hezekiah. He was sick and almost died. He prayed to the LORD, who spoke to him and gave him a sign that he would recover from his sickness. He recovered but due to pride, he did not respond appropriately to the kindness God showed him. He later repented of his pride, so the wrath of the LORD did not fall upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem during his reign (2 Chronicles 32:25-26).
Isaiah 39:1-2 tells us how Hezekiah sinned. Instead of telling the ambassadors sent by the king of Babylon, following his recovery, how the LORD had healed him, he showed off his wealth. God sent the Prophet Isaiah to confront him with his sin and announce the consequences of his action.
Proud King Uzziah was not all that fortunate. He had become great because God marvelously helped him. But his heart was lifted unto destruction. Pride moved him to intrude into the office of a priest despite all efforts to discourage him. Perhaps, he thought success as a king qualified him to trespass into the priesthood. He died a leper (2 Chronicles 26:14-23). If God is going to promote you, you must always wear the garment of humility.
David is seen by many people as a very successful king, but he was a humble man. He recognized in many of his psalms that without God, he wouldnât have achieved anything.
He didnât see himself as possessing any excellent military skills. Rather, he said that the LORD taught his hands to make war (2 Samuel 22:35; Psalm 18:34; 144:1). He seemed to be saying there was nothing fantastic about his military feats and exploits. He said the LORD was his teacher in warfare. You canât fail if God is your teacher!
In 2 Samuel 23:1, he was described as âthe man who was raised up on highâ (New King James Version). The Living Bible puts it this way: âDavid, the man to whom God gave such wonderful success.â He was not described as a man who accomplished greatness by his military prowess. The LORD helped him in all the wars he fought and won.
3. It helps you to make the LORD, not man, yourself, or the situation, your focus. Youâll look gloomy if youâre looking at your negative situation. If you focus on the wrong things, youâll find yourself at the wrong destination. Whatever you behold, you become (2 Corinthians 3:18). What are you focusing on? Remembering the benefits of the Lord helps you to maintain a right focus on the Lord. Psalm 34:5 says, âThey looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamedâ (New King James Version).
4. It does not allow you to be harassed or intimidated by your present condition. There are situations in your life that can really destabilize or depress you by merely looking at them, especially comparing yourself with other people. You must learn how to take your eyes off them. This is not easy though. And one way to do that is to constantly remember the benefits of the Lord and speak of them. Psalm 73:2-3 says, âBut as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff! My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickednessâ (New Living Translation). However, when the psalmist went into the sanctuary of the LORD, he understood the end of the wicked (verse 17).
5. It enables you not to put your trust in man or human methods, strategies, or tactics. David told Saul that he could not use his armour and other things he gave him because he had not used them before. He restated his trust in God, who had helped him in the past to kill the lion and the bear. If victory is about the armour and the rest, why didnât Saul, the owner, use them and go to face Goliath? (1 Samuel 17:38-39).
We must not mistake the support of men for the support of God. If men support you, but God does not, youâll still fail. It makes no difference who is supporting someone if God is against him. That is why you need to put your trust in the Lord and not forget His benefits. Remembering them and speaking about them will help you to put your trust in Him. According to Psalm 125:1, âThose who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides foreverâ (New King James Version). Psalm 118:8-9 says, âIt is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princesâ (New King James Version).
You should not put your trust in horses and chariots; it will always result in a fall and defeat. But continuously put your trust in the Lord (Psalm 20:7). Thank God for any help that men may promise and render to you, but do not let it replace your trust in God. The best of men are still fallible; only God is perfect.
6. It helps you to make faith confessions, which boost your faith in the Lord. Your faith confessions are based on the Word of God and the testimony of its fulfillment in your life, which is demonstrated in the kindnesses, goodness, and favour of the Lord youâve enjoyed in the past. When you confess these, not only are you showing gratitude to the Lord and remembering what God had done before, your faith receives a boost. That was what David did in 1 Samuel 17:34-37, talking to Saul about Godâs victory given him over the lion and the bear and that the same God would deliver him out of the hand of the Philistines.
But in verses 45-47, it seems to me that when addressing Goliath, his faith had increased. He was no longer talking of God delivering him from the hand of Goliath. He said, âThis day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our handsâ (New King James Version).
To me, Davidâs faith confession in verses 45-46, appears higher than that of verses 34-37! The Bible says, âAnd since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, âI believed and therefore I spoke,â we also believe and therefore speakâ (2 Corinthians 4:13 New King James Version). Faith always speaks.
7. It fills your heart with joy despite the gloom around you. Joy wells up inside you notwithstanding your circumstances. And because of this joy in your heart, you receive divine strength to face life. Nehemiah 8:10 says the joy of the LORD is your strength. A joyless Christian is a powerless Christian! And that is why the devil always wants to steal your joy. Joy is not dependent on your circumstances. In Matthew 5:3, the Amplified Bible Classic Edition explains the word blessed as âhappy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperousâwith life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditionsâ
8. It puts you in good stead for Godâs intervention and help. Your stand of faith and faith confession make it possible for God to act on your behalf. He could make God dispatch them to minister for you or serve you. Hebrews 1:14 says the angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation. That includes you. God shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways (Psalm 91:11). The ministry of angels is still real today. When you speak negative words you empower Satan in your situation to do more havoc.
Remember Godâs benefits in every situation even when it is contrary to the benefits youâve enjoyed before or that is promised you in the Word of God.
David said the battle was the LORDâs (1 Samuel 17:47). Moses told the Israelites that the LORD would fight for them and they shall hold their peace (Exodus 14:14). God wants to fight for you, too. Fear not and see the salvation of the Lord that Heâll show you; the Egyptians you see, you shall see them no more forever. God wants to show Himself strong on your behalf (2 Chronicles 16:9). Stand on your faith confession and see His salvation.
9. It confuses the enemy and weakens the opposition. Theyâre surprised youâre still standing; theyâre shocked that youâre not downcast in spite of everything theyâve thrown at you. Theyâre worried that youâve chosen not to fear but stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. âDonât be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himselfâ (Philippians 1:28 New Living Translation). God has not given you the spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
10. It positions you to have harvests of testimonies. God is faithful. Nothing is too hard for Him to do (Jeremiah 32:17, 27). With God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37). All things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23).
God always rewards faith in Him. He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). When you hold unto Him in faith, remembering His goodness and kindnesses in the past and confessing His salvation now, He wonât fail you.
In 1 Samuel 17, God didnât fail David, who stood on the covenant of the LORD with Israel and remembered his previous experience of deliverance by Him. He trusted Him for victory over Goliath. He saw no difference between the lion and the bear, and Goliath. They were all enemies! And the LORD helped him to kill Goliath.
God will fight for you, as you donât forget His benefits. Youâll have your harvests of testimonies in Jesusâ name. Youâll kill your Goliath in the name of Jesus and youâll sing for joy. Forget not His benefits; donât take them for granted. Theyâre His blessings, not rights.
Conclusion: David said, âI will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouthâ (Psalm 34:1 New King James Version). Let this be your decision and lifestyle. Donât forget the benefits of the Lord. Count your blessings and thank the Lord continually.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life â your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
  
  
  
  
