Our scripture today is from Ps 103:1-13
The Pilgrim fathers who landed at Plymouth Rock over 300
years ago knew nothing of the affluent times which you and I enjoy today in
this great country of ours. The next
time you and I are tempted to complain about inflation and the state of our economy,
we need to remember the following: During
that first long winter at Plymouth Colony, seven times as many graves were made
for the dead as homes for the living. The
ship which was to bring food and relief brought 35 more mouths to feed, but not
an ounce of provisions. Touching indeed
is the picture of William Brewster, rising from a scanty Plymouth dinner,
consisting of a plate of clams and a glass of cold water, to thank God “for the
abundance of the sea and the treasures hid in the sand.” The Pilgrims didn’t have much, but they
possessed a great gratitude and it was upon this very thing that America was
built. These stalwart people, strong, devout and sincere were the timbers upon
which our nation was founded. They had a
custom of putting 5 kernels of corn upon each empty plate before a dinner of
“thanksgiving” was served. Each member of the family would pick up a kernel and
tell what they were thankful for. It was to remind them that the first Pilgrims
were in such dire straits that their allowance was only 5 kernels of corn per
person each day.
Let me tell you…we have many reasons to be thankful. Let’s
take 5 grains of corn, and using Psalm 103:1-5 as a basis, think of 5 things to
praise God for. In this Psalm David
calls upon his body, mind, soul, and spirit to join in one grand symphony of
praise for the benefits God has so graciously bestowed upon him. Can you see
the 5? The first is the Kernel
of Forgiveness
Verse 3a tells us: “…who forgives all your sins…”
One day a fellow was visiting with his pastor in the
parsonage. He picked up a book that was on a stand and began to read. Suddenly
he shouted, “Glory! Praise the name of the Lord!” The pastor asked, “What’s the
matter with you?” The visitor replied, “This book says that in certain places
the sea is 5 miles deep!” “Yes, that’s right,” said the pastor. “What of it?”
The visitor answered, “Why the Bible says that my sins have been cast into the
depth of the sea, and if it’s that deep, I’m not afraid of their coming up
again. The pressure of the water is so great there that if the largest
battleship could be sunk to that depth, it would be crushed like an egg
shell.” There’s no mistaking it—God
offers forgiveness. All any person must do is repent and forsake his sin, and
God will forgive him and revoke the penalty of sin.
This forgiveness is a…
Promise of the Father
Provision of the Son
Proclamation in the Bible
Required practice in the church
From the depths of our hearts, a sense of gratitude should
well up. Gratitude should ascend like incense to the throne of God.
The second kernel is the Kernel of Redemption. Verse
4a: “…who redeems your live from the pit…”
The London Times publishes the prices paid for art objects in all of the
salesrooms of the world. If a painting is sold in New York or Paris or Rome or
London, The Times gives the full details of the sale. You can judge the value
of the painting by the price paid for it. And we can judge our value by the
price Jesus paid for us—the depths into which He had to reach in order to
redeem us. The Governor of Texas, spoke
to the assembled convicts of penitentiaries of that state. He finished by
saying that he would remain to listen if any man wanted to speak with him. When
the meeting was over, a large group of men remained, many of them lifers. One
by one they each told the governor that he was there through a frame-up, and
injustice, or a judicial blunder. Each asked to be freed. Finally, one man came up and said,
“Governor, I just want to say that I’m guilty. I did what they sent me here
for, but I believe I’ve paid for it. If I were freed, I would do everything I
could to be a good citizen and prove myself worthy of your mercy.” The governor
pardoned this man. Why? Because he admitted his guilt. So it is with us if we
are to be redeemed from the awful sentence we’re under. But there is a
difference. We can’t say that we’ve paid for any of it because as the old hymn
says, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin has left a crimson stain, He
washed it white as snow."” If we will plead His blood, God will redeem
us. The Lord not only saved our souls
from hell, but He also redeems our lives from the clutches of the devil. Satan
is bent on destroying our lives. But thanks be to God who redeems our lives
from his power. All one has to do is take a look at our penitentiaries,
sanitariums, hospitals, and half-way houses. They are filled with people whose
lives are being destroyed by our enemy. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13, “Wide is
the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and many are on that
road.”
But we praise God today with the Psalmist who said, “He
lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a
rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn
of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD”
(Psalm 40:2,3).
The third Kernel is The
Kernel of Healing. Verse 3b: “…who
heals all your diseases…” When first
considering this passage of scripture, I was reluctant to use it because I
couldn’t reconcile it with the fact that God doesn’t heal everyone who has an
“incurable” disease. But I believe the Holy Spirit can help us to see three
important truths contained in this verse.
The first is that all healing is divine healing and all
recovery from sickness, injury and surgery is the result of the healing
properties that God has built into our bodies. Medicine, surgery and therapy
are merely extensions of God’s healing ministry.
The second… This verse doesn’t say that God heals everyone’s
diseases, but that He heals all diseases. There is no disease or sickness that
lies beyond Hid healing power—not even what we call “incurable.” He is the
Great Physician.
The third…. The main truth I learned is that the Psalmist is
speaking to his soul. “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” he said, “who heals all your
diseases.”
The diseases of the soul emanate from the virus of sin.
Jesus identified this virus and its symptoms and disorders in. Matt 15:19-20: “For out of the heart come
evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony,
slander. These are what make a man ’unclean.’”
Just as surely as some disorders of the body can be cured by
medicines and surgery, so the soul of man can be cleansed, purged and
purified—and made whole when God the Holy Spirit is allowed to possess us
completely.
The fourth kernel is The
Kernel of Love and Compassion
Verse 4a: “…crowns you with love and compassion…” In one of Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman’s meetings, a
man rose to give the following remarkable testimony: “I got off at the
Pennsylvania depot one day as a tramp. For a year I begged on the streets for a
living. One day I touched a man on the shoulder and said, “Mister, please give
me some money so I can have something to eat.” As soon as I saw his face, I
recognized him as my father. ‘Father, don’t you know me?’ I asked. Throwing his
arms around me, he cried, ‘I’ve found you! I’ve found you! All I have is
yours!’ Think of it! That I a tramp, stood begging my father for a few cents,
when for 18 years he had been looking for me to give me all he was worth.” How similar this is to the loving kindness
and tender mercies of the Lord which accompany our lives every day.
The fifth kernel is The
Kernel of Satisfaction and Renewal
Verse 5: “…who satisfies your desires with good things so
that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
This reminds me of the words of Jesus, given in the sermon on the Mount:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
satisfied” (Matt.5:6).
There’s a great paradox here. We’re satisfied but never
satisfied. My wife makes the best apple pie in the world. I’m always satisfied
when I eat some, but I always want more because what I’ve experienced makes me
want to taste it again and again. So it is with righteousness. We’re filled and
the filling is so sweet and so rich and full that we want more. When we seek God’s righteousness, He grants
it. Psalm 107:9 says, “He has satisfied the thirsty soul and the hungry soul He
has filled with what is good.” A famous surgeon was seldom seen on the streets without a
beautiful, fresh rose in his lapel. His friends wondered why these buds stayed
fresh for so long a time. When they asked him his secret, he turned back the
flap of his coat and revealed a little bottle of water into which the stem of
the flower had been inserted. So it is with believers. If our lives draw from
the great resources of the Lord Jesus, who is in us the Water of Life, we will
grow more fragrant and beautiful as the days and years go by. But that’s not the end. Verse 5 also says
that God will renew my youth like the eagle’s. The eagle is known for three
things: size, strength, and longevity. It’s also known for its annual molting. This is the result of living a fulfilled,
satisfied, spiritual life. I am constantly being renewed, refreshed, and
revived in my soul and God is doing it all!
No wonder then that the Psalmist said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
all that is within me, bless his holy name!”
So, let me ask you….when you sit down to your Thanksgiving meal on Thursday,
take time to thank God for these blessings—and remember these five kernels.
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