Our Pastor deemed it necessary to go back to the basics for discipleship.  Why was this necessary?  In a world where people believe they are Christians, 80% of those do not read the Bible for themselves on a daily basis.

As I opened The Word of God this morning and began to read Psalm 103, I felt the Lord stir my heart to share how we should study His inspired words.  In the first five verses, there is so much to glean from Him that I could not move on without writing.

This is what I want every new convert (believer) to know: It is not how many chapters you read a day; it is what you gain in knowledge and intimacy with your Lord that you retain and grow from.  Let us study this scripture together to see what I mean:

Psalm 103:1-5

¹Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
² Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
³ Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

First, it is so easy today to research the meanings of any words you wish to understand more thoroughly.  If you do not have any other translations of the Bible at home, you can utilize Biblegateway.com for reference.  Studying the definition in Hebrew or Greek is extremely beneficial in understanding the culture of that day.

Verse one: Bless the Lord

• Praise Him, Worship Him
• Put Him in His rightful place
• He is the only living God
• He is omnipotent (almighty, all-powerful, invincible, supreme)
• He is omnipresent (always with us; protecting, guiding, listening, answering)

Verse one: Soul

• Your soul is your mind, will, and emotions

Verse one: All that is within me

• Praise the Lord with all of your heart!
• Be mindful, be present in the moment, worship the Lord from your heart
• John 4:24 – God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth

Verse one: What is God’s Holy Name?

• “I AM” (Exodus 3:14 – And God said to Moses, “IAM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”)
• YHWH (Yahweh or Jehovah): This is the personal and covenant name of God, reflecting God’s self-existence, eternality, and unchanging nature (Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 42:8).
• Elohim: Used to describe God’s majesty, power, and role as Creator.  (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4).
• El Shaddai (“God Almighty”): Emphasizes God’s all-sufficiency and might, highlighting His power to fulfill promises and     bless abundantly (Genesis 17:1; Genesis 35:11).
• Adonai (“Lord” or “Master”): A title of authority signifying God’s lordship over creation and personal lives (Genesis 15:2).
• YHWH-Jireh (“The LORD Will Provide”): Shows God’s provision (Genesis 22:14).
• YHWH-Rapha (“The LORD Who Heals”): Reflects God’s power to heal physically and spiritually (Exodus 15:26).
• YHWH-Nissi (“The LORD Is My Banner”): Highlights God’s protection and leadership in times of conflict (Exodus 17:15).
• YHWH-Shalom (“The LORD Is Peace”): Emphasizes God’s offer of peace and wholeness to His people (Judges 6:24).
• YHWH-Tsidkenu (“The LORD Our Righteousness”): Indicates God as the source of righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6).
• YHWH-Rohi (“The LORD Is My Shepherd”): Symbolizes God’s pastoral care and guidance (Psalm 23:1).
• YHWH-Sabaoth (“The LORD of Hosts”): Signifies God’s sovereignty over heavenly armies and all powers (Isaiah 6:3).
• Immanuel (“God with us”): A prophecy fulfilled in Jesus Christ, indicating God’s incarnation (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14).
• Alpha and Omega: Titles meaning “the beginning and the end,” emphasizing God’s eternal nature; Jesus claims this title in Revelation (Revelation 1:8; 22:13).

Verse two: What are the Lord’s benefits?

• We only need to look back on His names above to see His characteristics
• We find many promises throughout His Word that are written for us through the inspiration of His Holy Spirit

Verse three: He forgives all your iniquities

• Reading forward to verse 12 in this chapter identifies the confirmation for verse three, “as far as the east is from the west, so far as He removed our transgressions from us”.
• If you need a reason to praise Him, read verses 8-14 to recognize His compassion towards you.
• Jentezen Franklin said, “Isn’t it amazing to know that when you confess your sins, God removes them completely? Under the Blood of Jesus, your sins are gone.  You will never have to face them before God again.  You are forgiven, clean, and holy – not because of what you have done, but because of what Christ has done.”

Verse three: He heals all your diseases

• Isaiah 53:5 – But He was wounded for our transgressions,
  He was bruised for our iniquities;
  The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
  And by His stripes we are healed.  (Italics are mine)

This scripture is talking about Jesus.  John 3:16 tells us that God sent His only Son to take our place.  This is our benefit for asking                    Jesus to live within our hearts.  It is that simple:

A – Ask in faith

B – Believe Jesus is the Son of God

C – Confess your sins (repent) and receive His forgiveness

• Romans 10:9-13 – ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
• It is then that you have the right to receive His promises, including your healing!

Verse four: He redeems your life from destruction

• This was completed when Jesus endured the cross in our place
• One translation changed the word destruction to “the pit”, detailing that Jesus saved us from the pit of hell.
• Is this praise-worthy to you, to know that because of Jesus we can live in heaven for all eternity?

Verse four: Crowns

• In the Bible that Jentezen Franklin produced, he outlines the different crowns that are promised to believers when we get to heaven. He writes, “The Lord advises believers to walk in righteousness and earn ‘treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal’ (Matthew 6:20).  These ‘treasures’ are also referred to in other passages of the NT as ‘crowns’.”
• Crown of Glory: For Faithful Servants (1 Peter 5:4)
• Crown of Rejoicing: For Soul Winners (1 Thess 2:19)
• Crown of Righteousness: For Those Who Love His Return (2 Timothy 4:8)
• Incorruptible Crown: For Victorious Lives of Purity (1 Corinthians 9:25)
• Crown of Life: For Christian Martyrs (Revelation 2:10)

Verse five: He satisfies your mouth with good things

• Mouth – oh my, there is such a big sermon here, so I will save it for another time.
• The Lord satisfies us with good things, no evil! Therefore, JOY should fill our mouths.
• In a day where culture compels us to promote success, the Lord teaches us to be content with where we are, with what we have. I have always found that the closer I am to Jesus, the more I desire Him, and nothing else seems to quench that desire.  He satisfies the longing in my soul.  But in return, He always gives us more than we expect: Ephesians 3:20 (AMP) –  Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us.

Verse five: your youth is renewed

• A promise of renewed strength!

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Today, I need His healing touch and His strength.  What do you need?  May we sit in His presence, reflect on Jesus, and raise our expectation to receive from Him.  Hallelujah!

Notes:

1. If you are new to this blog, please understand that I have a ministry in discipleship, so I challenge you and encourage you to grow in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. All scripture is taken from NKJV and NLT unless otherwise noted.
3. More blogs can be viewed at the following sites:

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