Lord’s Day, Vol. 2 No. 2

The Lord Is My Shepherd (Psalm 23)

1 A Psalm of David. 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 not all his benefits. (Psalm 103:1-2)

As we begin 2014, let us with thanksgiving recount God’s blessing upon us and forget not all that we have received from His good hand. The psalmist had much to thank God for. And he listed them one by one in this psalm. As we survey how God blessed the psalmist, we too, must echo that deep sense of gratitude in our own hearts. The psalmist reminded his own heart how easily he can become forgetful and be disconnected with the Giver of his benefits. Therefore, he commanded his own soul, to bless the LORD, to praise the LORD, to be thankful for all His care for him. May we at Blessed Hope do so too!

(1) Benefit of the Pure Gospel

Our God has given us His infallible, inerrant and preserved Word for our eternal benefit. Having received the Word of life, let us not forget to give thanks. How He did open our spiritual eyes that we could understand and embrace the truth of God’s Word wholeheartedly! How He did show us that we should be a like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season (Psalm 1:3). How we did come to the Source of our blessing – Jesus Christ, the Living Word, the sum and theme of the Bible. Indeed, it is by this written Word that we embrace the Living Word, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our sins are forgiven. Our minds our renewed daily by the cleansing power of God’s Word is a living reality. How great is that salvation!

Godly music is next to pure theology. There is a John Sung chorus in “Every Home Sings” No. 33, concerning daily life with Jesus:

Only Jesus, Only Jesus
Only He can satisfy
Every burden is turned to blessing
When I know my Lord is nigh.

(2) Benefit of a Poor Heart

The psalmist acknowledges his spiritual poverty. He recounted that man is but dust (Psalm 103:14), a sobering truth. From dust we are formed and to dust we shall go. He reminded us of our transitory existence on this earth in Psalm 103:15-16.

“As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof know it no more.”

This earth is not our home. We have a more sure and eternal home in heaven that we look forward to. It is by the sheer grace of God that we have our being.

God wants us to not forget how dependent we are upon Him. It is this realization of need that causes us to flee to Him for strength and solace. We dare not become discouraged but be reminded to count our blessings. It is this realization of a sovereign God in control of everything in this universe, that we seek comfort in Him.

God does not want us to go our own way, chart our own course. That is the broad way that leads to destruction. Let us recall the Scripture text in James 4:13-17 and be forewarned of presumptuous planning without God in the equation.

13. Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Let us put off self-willed independence (v13-14) and put on godly dependence (v15-17). Thank God for every contrite heart inclined to walk with Him.

(3) Benefit of doing His Good Pleasure

Wherever the LORD has placed you, may you shine for His glory! We thank God for the blessing of home. We thank God for the blessing of friends. We thank God for the blessing of service in our life. Indeed, it is but our reasonable service.

As the LORD burdens your heart for service, do take action, as our Lord taught us, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) We cannot give unless God first blesses us. And having been blessed by God let the cup of God’s blessing overflows to the people around us.

When Jesus met a man with infirmity for thirty-eight years at the place called Bethesda (John 5), by the sheep market in Jerusalem, He healed him spiritually and physically. “Rise, take up thy bed and walk” was the command to this afflicted soul and he did rise and walk. Jesus said to him, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worst thing come unto thee.” (John 5:14) In other words, forget not what great blessing you have received and go not back to the old life of sin.

For us here at Blessed Hope, may the Lord use us to be His witnesses. May we serve Him with gladness in this New Year of grace! Amen.

Yours lovingly
Pr Lek Aik Wee