A Real Friend with Benefits
Scripture: Psalm 103:1-2 NKJV - Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
Some of us don’t know the real meaning of friend. We use the term so loosely. We selfishly use our so-called friends for personal gain, we mistreat them, we see them as someone we can take from … never pouring back into them and their lives. Their lives matter too!
When a ‘friend’ betrays us (or vice versa), we quickly ‘unfriend’ them. Hmm … what if God treated us like that every time we betrayed (disobeyed) Him? What if He didn’t wanna be our Friend anymore?? Think about all the benefits we would lose, His benefits. Can we do life without Him? What would we be missing out on??
Psalm 103 tells us some of the benefits we have in the Lord. He forgives ALL our iniquities (immoral or grossly unfair behavior, definition from search.yahoo.com). In other words, wickedness, sinfulness. He heals ALL our diseases – physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, financial, etc. He redeems our lives from destruction – seen and unseen. He crowns us with (His) lovingkindness and tender mercies – He covers us! He satisfies our mouths with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. He executes righteousness and justice for ALL who are oppressed. The list goes on and on, His Holy Word is full of His benefits. His Word through song shares His benefits too – think of the lyrics to What A Friend We Have In Jesus.
Ask yourself one question – could I make it without God and His benefits? My friend, the answer is no! There is no way, left to ourselves, that we could make it without God working in us and through us. Even in these uncertain times we live in, we have a choice to trust God! We have a choice to let go and surrender total control to Him (we never had control of anything anyway). We have a choice in whom we call ‘friend’.
Some friends we can do without … God is not one of them!
Prayer: Father, thank You for being my Friend! You are the Best Friend I can have. Forgive me for not taking advantage of Your benefits that came as a ‘package deal’ when I accepted Your Son Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. Oh how I have missed out on so many opportunities to walk through Your handpicked trials with Your confidence, grace and obedience … all because I wanted to do things my way. Forgive me, Father! I thank You that Your Love never fails, It never gives us, It never runs out on me! And I am grateful for the privilege to call You Friend! In Jesus’ Name we always pray … AMEN!
(by Cassaundra Turner)
Some of us don’t know the real meaning of friend. We use the term so loosely. We selfishly use our so-called friends for personal gain, we mistreat them, we see them as someone we can take from … never pouring back into them and their lives. Their lives matter too!
When a ‘friend’ betrays us (or vice versa), we quickly ‘unfriend’ them. Hmm … what if God treated us like that every time we betrayed (disobeyed) Him? What if He didn’t wanna be our Friend anymore?? Think about all the benefits we would lose, His benefits. Can we do life without Him? What would we be missing out on??
Psalm 103 tells us some of the benefits we have in the Lord. He forgives ALL our iniquities (immoral or grossly unfair behavior, definition from search.yahoo.com). In other words, wickedness, sinfulness. He heals ALL our diseases – physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, financial, etc. He redeems our lives from destruction – seen and unseen. He crowns us with (His) lovingkindness and tender mercies – He covers us! He satisfies our mouths with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. He executes righteousness and justice for ALL who are oppressed. The list goes on and on, His Holy Word is full of His benefits. His Word through song shares His benefits too – think of the lyrics to What A Friend We Have In Jesus.
Ask yourself one question – could I make it without God and His benefits? My friend, the answer is no! There is no way, left to ourselves, that we could make it without God working in us and through us. Even in these uncertain times we live in, we have a choice to trust God! We have a choice to let go and surrender total control to Him (we never had control of anything anyway). We have a choice in whom we call ‘friend’.
Some friends we can do without … God is not one of them!
Prayer: Father, thank You for being my Friend! You are the Best Friend I can have. Forgive me for not taking advantage of Your benefits that came as a ‘package deal’ when I accepted Your Son Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. Oh how I have missed out on so many opportunities to walk through Your handpicked trials with Your confidence, grace and obedience … all because I wanted to do things my way. Forgive me, Father! I thank You that Your Love never fails, It never gives us, It never runs out on me! And I am grateful for the privilege to call You Friend! In Jesus’ Name we always pray … AMEN!
(by Cassaundra Turner)
Archive
2022
January
Dissing Double MindednessCome-to-Jesus MomentNew Year, Same God!Is God Real?O Me of Little FaithNot Another Password!Lamb of GodA Tale of Two SongsGod WinksJesus Working Through MeA Real Friend with BenefitsGod is Trying to Tell Us SomethingEven the Lord, RestedGod’s Word to the RescueLiberty and ConscienceHaving a Made-Up MindMarch Like a SoldierThe Reality of UnityLostMiracle on the Roman RoadA Reference Point, Not a ResidencePromised TranquilityListening/Obeying ChristOf ValueHeart FlowThe Implications of “Won’t He Do It”
February
March
STANDING IN VICTORYSelf WillWho are you?Wait a MinuteNOT IF, BUT WHEN (Part 1)NOT IF, BUT WHEN (Part 2)NOT IF, BUT WHEN (Part 3)God Given IdentityHe Knows Our Heart!Witnessing FalselyBut God; the Believer’s SemicolonGod’s Fingerprint – The Living WordHeart OwnershipDeception Among BelieversAn Extraordinary ManEven IfHe Saw the Best in MeNot Quite, Almost, Nearly \"NOPE!\"Jesus’ Teaching About WorshipTHE RIGHT ATTITUDE FOR PRAYER (Part I)THE RIGHT ATTITUDE FOR PRAYER (Part II)Fruits of the SpiritDifferent Time but Same AgendaI Am the GreatestTrusting the FatherListen, God is Speaking to You
April
What’s in A Name?I’m DelightedWhat a Friend We Have in JesusGod Promises a Life of New BeginningsChrist Formed in YouSlow to SpeakThe Eternal God is Our RefugeHis Marvelous Grace and Omniscience!Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!WHEN FAITHFULNESS BARES IT\'S THROAT!Things Change in His PresenceESCAPE THE WOE!Declare the Lord’s Immutability!WAS THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS, A DONE DEAL?Jesus Needing a Drink"Yisemah Adams" And The Day Of Many 'Likes'"Yisemah Adams" And The Day Of Many 'Likes' - Part 2THE Greatest TRUE Story (Part 1)THE Greatest TRUE Story (Part 2)He Dropped the ChargesWho’s the Big Deal!Don’t Just Marvel: BELIEVE!Treasures Found in Your Dark SeasonsOpen the Eyes of My HeartDAYS AS HANDBREADTHS?
May
Awaiting A Divine SequelWorship - Being in the Lord’s PresenceOpen the Eyes of My HeartJESUS SAVIOR, PILOT MEDoubt Your DoubtsGod Directs Our PathsLifeLiving as Children of GodHe Foreknew MeThe Act of LoveBEFORE 'YONDER'BEING USED OF GODOur Lord, the Master Engineer of Every ThingWhen Faithfulness Bares Its Throat (Part 1)When Faithfulness Bares Its Throat (Part 2)The Act of LoveYour Close Friendship CircleI Got Everything I NeedI Won’t ComplainONE MIGHTY SOUNDLESS SOUNDYOU ARE WITH MEEmpowered by Worship