Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/74

Contributor - Jon van Oostveen

Title - Meditation

Topic - Thanksgiving

Text: Psalm 103: 2 "BLESS THE LORD, 0 MY SOUL, AND FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS."

This Psalm is such a familiar Psalm to us because it is the expression of our thanks to God after we have received the means of grace in the celebration of the Lord's Supper. This Psalm is a hymn of praise of one who has been redeemed from sin and destruction and set free to praise God for His wonderfu1 works.

"Bless the Lord, 0 my soul." It is the desire of the Psalmist and our desire to bless God and praise the Lord this Thanksgiving in response to the blessings which God has given us. God has blessed us with so many blessings, too many to enumerate them all. We want to bless God for our blessings, echoing back what God has begun to do for us first. "Bless the Lord", in other words we are not to think of ourselves first but of the Lord whom our whole being seeks to bless and praise. Nothing is there that is to be left behind that is not to praise God.

The greatest reason which the Christian has for thanking and blessing God is that God forgives sin. What a wonderful benefit that is. Where else can we as sinful people begin by counting our blessings? Our greatest need is to get rid of our sins. God has done that in the gift of His Son Jesus Christ and by His death for our sins on the cross. Forgiveness is ours through faith in Jesus Christ. That certainly is worthy of our thanks to God.

The consequences of our sins - our diseases, God also has taken care of in His great mercy. "He heals our diseases." God deals with the results of sin in that He removes every trace of it in our lives. That too makes us thankful to God.

God does more for us, "He redeems our life from the Pit". God preserves the lives which He saves. God saves us by forgiveness and that life endangered by disease is saved again by healing. Another danger is that the Christ within us is threatened to be destroyed. However, God promises that He "will redeem our lives from the Pit". God alone knows how many He has saved from ruin. Praise God for His preservation!

The first three blessings for which we thank God were all in relation to sin. Now the blessings become even greater when sin no longer stands in the way of fellowship of God with His people. "He crowns you with steadfast love and mercy." God gives us His love and mercy. Today we recognize this love as being the strongest and best thing in life. Love holds us all together. Mercy is pity for our fellowman, going into action for them. It is God's gift to us to help the broken-hearted, to comfort the sorrowing and heal the wounds that have been made, and to open the door of hope for those who have failed.

Then "God satisfies you with good as long as you live". How true it is that "God shall supply all our needs". Satisfied with good, so that every need will be met - is the promise which God gives.

That is the cause for rejoicing. Therefore the writer of Psalm 103 shouts in joyful victory over moral and spiritual powers. "My youth is renewed like the eagles". No longer is he bound by sin, for God has forgiven, healed, redeemed, crowned and satisfied all the needs and wants of all those who have looked up to Him in faith and prayer.

Therefore we also join in with the Psalmist this Thanksgiving: "BLESS THE LORD, 0 My SOUL; AND ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME BLESS HIS HOLY NAME."

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