The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 103:1-6, “Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
6 The LORD performs righteous deeds, And judgments for all who are oppressed.”

I awoke this morning after a good night’s rest with this passage on my mind. We are so inclined to whine over the trivialities of life; yet, our LORD is to be blessed and praised regardless of the negative circumstances we encounter. “…forget none of His benefits,” the passage clearly reads. Interestingly, while I “battle” a few bruises and what appears to be an increasingly blackening of my eyes, my email inbox tells of a 17-year-old Christian boy, who broke his back in four places in a one-car automobile accident.

The psalmist, David, is clever in that he does not leave us alone to think of the LORD’s blessings. He enumerates some categories, just in case our thoughts want to side-step the LORD’s innumerable blessings. The LORD “pardons all (our) iniquities.” That in itself should be sufficient for us to praise Him. He “heals all (our) diseases.” Certainly, we thank the LORD for the skillful knowledge of doctors. But, who gives them the intelligence to pursue and “conquer” the maladies that capture all of our thoughts? The LORD alone is to be praised!

Further, the LORD “redeems (our lives) from the pit.” I take that to mean the fires of Hell itself. Trusting Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross for our sins becomes our only redemption from eternal separation from Him. In the meantime, we are instructed to thank Him for His “lovingkindness and compassion” that encircles our lives. We are to be satisfied in our remaining years with the “good things” that renews our lives, as when we were young.

These negative circumstances that invade our lives are sometimes His judgments. He uses them to remind us that He alone is LORD, and that He is to be obeyed! Let me challenge you to read the remaining verses of this Psalm. It concludes with the words, “Bless the LORD, O my soul,” teaching us to trust Him in every circumstance of life, be it trivial or life-threatening. God offers His blessing to you. Thank Him for it.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom