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&
Brooksyne Weber
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Wednesday,
November 23, 2022
"Forget
Not!"
Message
summary: This
Thanksgiving season most
particularly, but really
in an ongoing way, let
us remember the Lord's
benefits, the many
blessings we have in
Him. Let us "forget not
all His benefits".
Listen"Bless
the Lord, O my
soul, and
forget not all
His benefits"
(Psalm 103:2).
John
Keefer was our
pastor for a
number of years.
He is now
retired and has
moved from our
area but remains
our friend and
we continue to
hear from him
from time to
time. He is one
of the most
caring people we
have ever met.
In his messages
he often had
witty statements
illustrating a
point in his
sermon which we
call Keeferisms.
Once he preached
a Thanksgiving
message from
Psalm 103. In
commenting on
our daily text
he stated, "I
notice as I get
older my
forgetter is
working better
and better".
John
Keefer was our
pastor for a
number of years.
He is now
retired and has
moved from our
area but remains
our friend and
we continue to
hear from him
from time to
time. He is one
of the most
caring people we
have ever met.
In his messages
he often had
witty statements
illustrating a
point in his
sermon which we
call Keeferisms.
Once he preached
a Thanksgiving
message from
Psalm 103. In
commenting on
our daily text
he stated, "I
notice as I get
older my
forgetter is
working better
and better".Well,
a progressing
"forgetter" is
something I am
sure many of us
can identify
with as we get
older!
We
can both see
this in our
daily lives. We
enjoy our hot
black coffee and
often carry it
with us in an
insulated
cup as we
go about our
morning chores.
But too often
Brooksyne or I
end up with a
second fresh mug
of coffee
because we can’t
remember where
we left the
first one in
spite of
retracing our
steps in looking
for the missing
cup. Problem is
we forget where
all we’ve been.
Sometimes we
find a
half-filled
coffee mug days
later and on a
few occasions
the old coffee
has a layer of
mold on top!
We
can both see
this in our
daily lives. We
enjoy our hot
black coffee and
often carry it
with us in an
insulated
cup as we
go about our
morning chores.
But too often
Brooksyne or I
end up with a
second fresh mug
of coffee
because we can’t
remember where
we left the
first one in
spite of
retracing our
steps in looking
for the missing
cup. Problem is
we forget where
all we’ve been.
Sometimes we
find a
half-filled
coffee mug days
later and on a
few occasions
the old coffee
has a layer of
mold on top!
Likewise
with our keys
and phones and
purses and my
wallet. We use
the tile device
on our keys.
(Jeff, a reader
sent us one
years ago when
we shared about
this memory
challenge in
another
message.) This
device uses your
computer or
another device
to alert you
with a beep when
you lose
something and
are unable to
find it. Go to
the app on the
computer and it
will beep
assuming you
didn't leave the
item too far
away to hear the
beep or
bluetooth
connection!Whatever
age we are or to
whatever extent
our "Forgetter"
is working, we
need to heed the
daily text, a
portion of one
of the grand
chapters of the
Bible, a Psalm
of David.
The Psalm begins with the phrase, "Bless the Lord, O my soul" and is repeated in the second verse word for word. One Bible commentator questions, "Had he been very sleepy before?" The possible reason he does this is that he is being very real. As sure as we begin to praise God we are too quickly distracted or our minds drift and our praise toward God is too quickly ended. The Psalmist’s repetition shows us the importance and essential need for continual, relentless adoration and thanksgiving toward God. Again and again we must rouse within our spirit the directive to worship God exclusively and wholeheartedly.
When we worship God wholeheartedly we offer to Him "all that is within me". That includes our heart, will, affections, mind and emotions.
In
the midst of our
worship the
Psalmist advises
us to, "Forget
not all His
benefits".
The benefits God
offers His
children far,
far exceed any
package an
employer might
offer an
employee. And
these benefits
we must remember
are daily
blessings,
really moment by
moment
blessings.
Forgetting can be a blessing in some matters. I’m glad certain hurts of the past have been forgotten or at least shoved back into the deepest recesses of our memory. Forgetfulness is not all bad. Without it the pain of our failures, losses, and hurtful actions from others would be almost unbearable.
It’s an interesting thing the way the mind works. Gil’s Exposition of the Bible gives this interesting perspective:
Today’s Scripture call from David will benefit each one of us as we "forget not all His benefits". This Thanksgiving season most particularly, but really in an ongoing way, let us forget not the Lord's benefits, the many blessings we have in God. The song “Bless The Lord” by Andraé Crouch comes to mind:
The Psalm begins with the phrase, "Bless the Lord, O my soul" and is repeated in the second verse word for word. One Bible commentator questions, "Had he been very sleepy before?" The possible reason he does this is that he is being very real. As sure as we begin to praise God we are too quickly distracted or our minds drift and our praise toward God is too quickly ended. The Psalmist’s repetition shows us the importance and essential need for continual, relentless adoration and thanksgiving toward God. Again and again we must rouse within our spirit the directive to worship God exclusively and wholeheartedly.
When we worship God wholeheartedly we offer to Him "all that is within me". That includes our heart, will, affections, mind and emotions.
In
the midst of our
worship the
Psalmist advises
us to, "Forget
not all His
benefits".
The benefits God
offers His
children far,
far exceed any
package an
employer might
offer an
employee. And
these benefits
we must remember
are daily
blessings,
really moment by
moment
blessings.Forgetting can be a blessing in some matters. I’m glad certain hurts of the past have been forgotten or at least shoved back into the deepest recesses of our memory. Forgetfulness is not all bad. Without it the pain of our failures, losses, and hurtful actions from others would be almost unbearable.
It’s an interesting thing the way the mind works. Gil’s Exposition of the Bible gives this interesting perspective:
"Memory
is very
treacherous
about the best
things; by a
strange
perversity,
engendered by
the fall, it
treasures up
the refuse of
the past and
permits
priceless
treasures to
lie neglected,
it is
tenacious of
grievances and
holds benefits
all too
loosely.
Observe that
he calls all
that is within
him to
remember all
the Lord’s
benefits. For
our task our
energies
should be
suitably
called out.
God’s all
cannot be
praised with
less than our
all."
Today’s Scripture call from David will benefit each one of us as we "forget not all His benefits". This Thanksgiving season most particularly, but really in an ongoing way, let us forget not the Lord's benefits, the many blessings we have in God. The song “Bless The Lord” by Andraé Crouch comes to mind:
Bless
the Lord, Oh
my soul
And all that is within me
Bless His holy name
And all that is within me
Bless His holy name
He
has done great
things
He has done great things
He has done great things
Bless His holy name
He has done great things
He has done great things
Bless His holy name
Be
encouraged today, (Hebrews
3:13)
Stephen
& Brooksyne
Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, we do
well to daily
dwell on Your
benefits
thereby giving
us pause to
praise You
with heartfelt
thanksgiving.
The enemy
would have us
turn over and
over in our
minds an
unkind word or
deed from
another or an
unhealthy
dwelling on
own mistakes
and failures.
But in so
doing we
mis-align our
focus and miss
the multiple
blessings that
pour into our
lives daily as
You have done
great things
in and through
us. When we
willfully,
dutifully call
to mind Your
blessings we
are filled
with a heart
of
thanksgiving
and it
overflows in
our praise
toward You, in
the outflow of
our
conversations
with others
and in our
actions toward
those around
us. I bless
You, O Lord! I
bless Your
holy name with
all that is
within me
through Christ
Jesus my Lord.
Amen.Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental
Resources
"Bless
The Lord Oh My
Soul"
Video
Andraé
Crouch
This is how we
both learned
this Psalm
back in the
seventies and
it continues
to stir up
praise within
our hearts to
this day!
"Bless
the Lord, O My
Soul (Psalm
103)"
Video
Sovereign
Grace Music
"Ten
Thousand
Reasons"
Video
Matt Redman
Last
week we shared
in a message
titled "God's
Ubiquitous
Blessings"
about seeing a
stack of
pallets at
Audrey's and
how it made
Stephen
realize how
ubiquitous
they are, like
God's mercies
which are new
every morning!
He was able to
use the pallet
jack to bring
a pallet up as
an
illustration
for his
devotional
yesterday
morning.
Our
church has a
special
program
encouraging
children to
read
missionary
biographies.
On Sunday I
was observing
the large
exhibit and
saw the
missionary's
name, Jonathan
Goforth
(1859-1936). I
had never
heard of him
before but was
immediately
struck by his
last name,
Goforth, a
command from
God, "Go
forth and
teach all
nations"! So
Jonathan went
forth and
taught the
people of
China the
gospel
message. Article
Another
interesting
last name are
missionaries,
Dave and
Ginger
Muchmore,
right from our
own church.
Each time I
see it in our
prayer guide
the Scripture
comes to mind,
"Where sin
abounds grace
doth much
more
abound."
Special
Thanksgiving
Resources
As we have for many years we want to offer these resources to families and church leaders to enrich the spiritual impact of the Thanksgiving holiday. We will leave these resources up till Thanksgiving Day.
As we have for many years we want to offer these resources to families and church leaders to enrich the spiritual impact of the Thanksgiving holiday. We will leave these resources up till Thanksgiving Day.
"Thankful
For The
Thorns": A
family reading
and exercise
that is a
wonderful way
to give a
thoughtful
focus around
your
Thanksgiving
Table. The
Thanksgiving
celebration
typically
includes
family coming
together for a
huge meal and
hopefully a
heartfelt
prayer of
thankfulness.
However it can
often be
difficult to
have a
spiritually
oriented
conversation.
Why not add
some
stimulating
discussion
about the ways
God has worked
in your life
over the past
year! Some of
you are not in
charge and are
only visitors
at your
Thanksgiving
gathering, but
if it is
possible share
together
around the
table the
theme of
"Thankful for
the Thorns" (printable
webpage).
"A Thanksgiving family exercise" (pdf). We have used this questionnaire as a stimulus for discussion among family members in the past in our home. We encourage you to share results around the table at Thanksgiving before or after the meal.
A Thanksgiving prayer: Written by Joe Sherer, a pastor friend of ours and shared as the benediction at our community Thanksgiving Eve service several years ago. (printable webpage) For those who enjoy written prayers this would be a beautiful prayer to read together at the Thanksgiving table.
A Thanksgiving Scripture reading: A selection of Old and New Testament readings dealing with thankfulness appropriate for church, family and personal readings. (pdf) (Suitable for printing out and copying.)
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radioPermissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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