Benefit Package

My soul, praise the Lord, and all that is within me, praise His holy name. My soul, praise the Lord, and do not forget all His benefits.” (Psalm 103:1-2 CSB)

In the work world of America, one of the primary considerations a worker looks for is the company’s “benefits package.” They are looking for health insurance, retirement, vacation, “comp time” and other such benefits. As important as the salary is, for some folks the benefits package can determine what company they would like to work for.

We do not typically think about the benefits of a personal relationship with the Lord in the same manner, since benefits seem to be more in tune with work, but the fact is, the Bible tells us there is a “benefits package” in knowing the Lord. The psalmist mentions at least six of them in Psalm 103.

Forgiveness is one of them. What would life be like if we had no forgiveness and no possibility for it? Forgiveness of sins provides us with a fresh start in life.

A second benefit is healing. This doesn’t mean God heals us every time all the time throughout our lives, since we all do die, but it does mean that our healing comes from God.

Redemption is another benefit. God “buys us back” so to speak. We take a wrong turn or a detour in life sometimes, but when we return to the Lord, He redeems us and puts things back right.

Compassion is a benefit. Not only does God have compassion toward us, but His Spirit within us enables us to express compassion toward others. He “crowns” us with this.

Satisfaction is the fifth benefit. Knowing the Lord provides us with a fullness in life, a sense of completeness that is fully satisfying. It’s like an eagle renewing its strength.

Then, justice is a sixth benefit of knowing the Lord. Sometimes wrong attitudes or actions are taken toward us simply because we belong to the Lord. We may at times experience an oppression, but God is faithful and loving toward us, His people, and He will bring about justice.

Lord, Help us to never forget these benefits we have in knowing You personally. We rejoice to praise You. Amen.