“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.” Psalm 103:2-6
Which of these benefits have you failed to thank God for recently?
It’s October—a hard month. A time when it is easy for me to forget to thank God for His love and compassion. A friend sent me an email on the last day of September. She knows that October is hard and simply said she would be here for me, keeping an eye on me. God was already providing before October even rolled over on the calendar. Because that is who He is and what He does. This time of year, it is easy to settle into sadness, to remember the pain, to forget God’s provision. David tells his soul not to forget. It is deliberate.
We often think God’s provision means He will change our circumstances. He didn’t for our family. Joshua was not healed this side of Heaven. I am learning that His provision is also what He gives me in the midst of unchanged circumstances. The grief that I face in October is a reminder of what I have lost. This passage from Psalm 103 is a declaration of God’s goodness. Remembering God’s benefits doesn’t negate what I have lost. Grief is hard. God is good. Both are true at the same time.
It is still October. My circumstances have not changed. My son will not return to this earth. Like David, I will tell my soul, “forget not all His benefits.”
This is one of thirty days from Who is this King of Glory? If you want to sit with this question from the Psalms a little longer, and the verses that speak into it, you can purchase the complete journal using the link below.