Benefits of Knowing God

The benefits of knowing and loving God who loves us and desires a personal relationship with us is the theme of Psalm 103. The blessings that God grants us have a two- fold meaning. Our love for the Father is a blessing to Him while His love, care, and compassion for His creation are the benefits and blessings He gives us. The biggest benefit is the fact that when we abide by Him (even when we stumble), He showers us with the many facets of His love. As a father cares for his children so God cares for us.
The first twelve verses give a good introduction to the benefits for the righteous. Through Him we are redeemed from the pit, we are showered with His love and mercy, we are forgiven as long as we fear (respect) Him and acknowledge who He is in our lives. As it says in verse twelve, ”As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us”. 
This seems like we are talking about the current state of the belief that all we have to do is believe, trust, and we are forgiven. It is this but the psalmist does say that we will still be chided for our misdeeds. He provides us with abundance, is decisive in His sharing of benefits, and compassionate when our hearts show and admit our faults with the understanding that we cannot control the temptations in this world.
The next section emphasizes His steadfast love and compassion for those who are and will be His people. The frailty of humankind is understood as these bodies will not last forever and to continue living it must be through the belief, trust, and faith in God. Because He initially created us to be in His image and the greater creation above the angels, God shows more love for us than any other portion of the world. We are created to go beyond the physical realm because of the Spirit within us.
This human frailty is expressed in verses 17and 18 where it is recognized that we are currently not meant to live forever on this earth but while here we must share and spread His righteousness and the benefits that come from the covenant He shares with us. We are His inheritance and to increase it we are required to share Him with our children who will share with their children until the appointed time.     
How wonderful it is to understand that we are but like blades of grass that wither in the winter and burn in the summer heat unless we are fertilized and continually nourished through His Word. Though we may have moments where our stalk turns brown, belief and following His Word will make us green again. We are the branch of a the tree of the Word that bears fruit. If we do not take the nourishment then we cannot bear the fruit which is the moving forward of the Word.
The psalm closes with the blessing upon God and those who will do as we are required to do. How do we send blessings to God? Through doing what we are told to do. Through believing, sharing, trusting, giving of ourselves to God so that others may receive the benefits that God has bestowed on those who are His people.
Romans 8 reminds us that Jesus took the guilt of sin from us by taking sin into death so we can live. When we get to heaven and are seated at the judgement, when God pronounces sentence, Jesus will stand in our place because He already has. Isn’t that wonderful news? Why haven’t we been sharing, or better why have they not listened?
Brothers and Sisters, do not waste His benefits on ourselves for an unshared benefit will rot like a fruit never picked or picked and left without partaking of it. Conduct yourselves as the Angel of God (Old Testament form of Jesus) commands of us through His teachings in all of Scripture. Love One another Just as He has Loved us. And finally, be the good soil and grow in His Word.
God’s Love and Blessings
Pastor Rob