Let’s Not Forget!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits (Ps. 103:2).

When you read the history of the Israelites you see that they tended to forget God as well as His kindness towards them. If we’re not careful, we will do the same. As His children, God has blessed us in so many ways. In Psalm 103, David reminds us of some of His blessings: who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Ps. 103:3-5). In these few verses, David reminds us that…

1.  God forgives us (v. 3). Israel had sinned time and time again and yet God forgave them. If we are honest, we would have to admit that we too have sinned against God time and time again; yet He forgives us. In addition, He heals all our diseases—He restores our moral and spiritual life. David adds, as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Ps. 103:12). God’s forgiveness is complete and sure.

2.  God redeems us (v. 4). God set the Israelites free from certain death in Egypt. We who have come to God by faith through Jesus for salvation have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. We have been set free from sin and sin’s penalty, which is death (see Rom. 6:23). According to David, God does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities (Ps. 103:10). God in His amazing grace and endless mercy has set us free.

3.  God crowns us (v. 4). In His grace, God surrounds or envelopes His children with His loyal, steadfast love and mercy. In fact, David goes on to write, For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him (Ps. 103:11). Thank God for His steadfast love!

4.  God satisfies us (v. 5). God brings contentment to the lives of His children by constantly caring for and providing for us. Since God created us He knows our needs, and in turn, meets our needs. He satisfies us with good things.

As we look back in history, both in the lives of the Israelites, as well as in our own lives, we can trace God’s mercy, grace, kindness, love, and compassion. So, let’s not forget God or His many benefits! Let’s say with the psalmist David, Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name (Ps. 103:1).

It Is Good To Give Thanks!

The psalmist wrote, “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night” (Ps. 92:1-2).

Today is a special day…a day to give thanks to God and celebrate one of His gifts to our family. The gift? Sarah! Today Sarah celebrated her eighth birthday! It is really hard to believe that my baby is growing up so fast. She continues to grow into a sweet young lady. There is no doubt that Sarah is a blessing from God to our family!

And speaking of blessings from God, I am a very blessed dad! Not only has God graciously given me Sarah, but also Lauren, Haley, and Emily. It is a blessing to my heart, as well as their mom’s heart, to watch our girls grow into godly young ladies who love their family, but more importantly, who love God.

Solomon penned these words…
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. ¹

It is certainly good to give thanks to the Lord and today I am reminded yet again just how much He has blessed me!

¹ The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Ps 127:3–5). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Remembering God’s Blessings

The psalmist David challenges the reader with these words: Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits (Ps. 103:2). I believe that when we take time to remember God’s benefits (His good deeds or acts of kindness toward His people) we will have no problem praising Him. As I have meditated on this verse I can’t help but think of God’s blessings on my life. Although the blessings are many (and no post could give them all justice) I want to share a few significant blessings from God…

One of the greatest blessings God bestowed upon me was allowing me to be born into a Christian home with a godly dad and mom. I have attached a photo of my dad and me. This picture was taken as we were preparing to go to church (if you look closely you will see some Bibles on the armrest). My dad was my hero. You can tell by my smile that I was happy to be with him. Little did I know then that I would not always have my dad with me. At the young age of 42, he was diagnosed with cancer and within three very short months dad went to his home in heaven. I still miss him but how blessed I was to have him those 16 short years. I have often said that if I were a third of the man my dad was then I would be a great man. He and my mom instilled in me the godly values that I hold dear today and that I am trying to pass on to my family. I’m grateful that my mom is still living and continues to model the Christ-life to so many.

God blessed me greatly with a great and godly wife. Her beauty was an added bonus! I love her so much and that love grows more and more each day. She has taught me so many lessons by her life as well as by her words. She loves me unconditionally and encourages me daily. I cannot imagine life without her! I remember when I was a teenager praying for my future wife and boy did God answer that prayer far more than I could ever have imagined! He gave me abundantly more than I could have ever asked. Shelley is a wonderful model of one who walks humbly with her God. Because of this (and so much more) she is also a wonderful example to our daughters. Speaking of daughters…

God blessed me with four incredible and beautiful daughters (I guess they get their looks from their mother). This picture was taken at Priester’s in AL on our way to Gulf Shores this past fall (L to R: Haley, Emily, Sarah, and Lauren). They are each a tremendous blessing from my loving Father. They bring joy to my heart and laughter to our home. They have taught me what it means to love selflessly. They are so sweet and thoughtful and demonstrate their love for their mama and daddy in so many ways! They are growing up way too fast. I am so proud of them and so thankful that they love God and are seeking to honor Him with their lives.

As I turn 44 this Thanksgiving Day I have so much to be thankful for. I am a blessed son, husband, and father. I challenge you to remember God’s blessings on your life and as you do to give Him thanks. Happy Thanksgiving!

Dad Would Have Loved It

I’m sitting here in the dining room at my twin sister Robyn’s house. Our family has just finished our early Thanksgiving meal and it was delicious as usual. The table has been cleared and the dishes are now being cleaned (hopefully they will not notice that I’m not in the kitchen helping with clean up...after all, I’m too stuffed to move at this point).

As I sit here I begin to reflect. I’m listening to the sounds and observing the actions of my and my sisters’ children (whose ages range from 4 to 17). Our children are playing hide-n-seek together upstairs. I hear my niece call out, “Where’s Jared?” Another voice hollers, “I’m hiding.” Occasionally I see one of my little ones coming down the steps with gummie bears in their hands. I hear lots of movement and there is giggling and laughter. After a while the voices begin to fade as all the cousins head for my sister’s bedroom (apparently my sis’s walk-in closet is a good hiding place). I also hear voices coming from the kitchen. It’s my mom and brother-in-law talking as they are cleaning the dishes (thankfully they have not noticed I’m missing in action). As I sit here I notice there are some voices missing from the mix. It seems a little quieter in the house. Oh yea, my wife and sisters went shopping...no wonder it is so quiet!

There is another voice that is noticeably missing from the mix though this voice has never been heard in my sister’s house. In fact, I have not heard this voice for a long time, but that is not to say that I would not recognize it were I to hear it again. You see, it is the voice of my dad that is missing. It was 25 years ago this week that my dad lost his battle with cancer. Dad was only 42 years old when he was diagnosed with colon cancer and he lived less than three months after his diagnosis. The last time I heard my dad’s voice was the day after Thanksgiving, 1983. It was the day after my twin sis and I turned 16. Little did I realize that I would never hear my dad’s voice again after that day, nor would I ever see him alive again on this earth. It was just three days after my sixteenth birthday that my dad went Home to be with his Lord and Savior.
Today, all I have are memories of my dad but I’m so thankful for the memories that I have of a wonderful dad who loved God, loved his wife and children, and who loved life to its fullest. I’m also thankful for the ability to remember! Yes, Dad would have loved hearing and seeing what I heard and saw this evening. He would have loved sitting at the table with his wife and children once again, and he certainly would have loved holding his grandchildren. To be quite honest, I would love to hear his voice again. To see his smile. To sit and talk with him. To introduce him to my beautiful wife and daughters. And how I’d love to feel that big hand on my shoulder once again.

This Thanksgiving week Dad would have loved to be with family creating more memories. But since that is not to be, our families will continue to add to the memories. We will take the time to cherish the moments before they fly away. And whatever we do I know dad would have loved it! So, if you’re reading this and still have your dad, take time to create some more memories...and if, like me, your dad has passed from this earth, take the time to create some memories, and know that your dad would have loved it.