A Present Continuing Thankfulness

Temple Baptist Church - 11-11-2018

Psalm 103:1-14

Introduction:

A.  As we continue to look forward to Thanksgiving Day, it does us well to remember that our thankfulness should be a present continuing one.  Every day of the year, we need to be aware of God’s continual blessings upon us.

B.  One of the aggravating things about our modern word processors is their modern dictionary. 

1.  As our English language continues to evolve, and some precious truths of the Bible are being changed and are lost when we use these dictionaries to underline and suggest changes in the wording. 

C.  What makes the King James Bible so different from the modern-day translations is found in both the texts from which they are translated and the differences between the old English and the new. 

D.  Our Bible is “frozen in time” as it has not changed over the years and the words are the same as they were in the 1600’s.  I do understand that we have the 1769 version of the King James Bible, with spelling standardization, but it is still consistent with the 1611.

E.  One of the important older spelling of the words in the Authorized (that means there may be unauthorized) King James Version are the “eth” endings on many of the words.  These words come from the Elizabethan Period that our Bible was translated in when the English language was at the pinnacle of its purity.

F.  When we read this chapter, we find God’s benefits (beneficial things) given to His children.  In today’s world, we understand the importance of benefits that go along with our jobs.

G.  “eth” is present perfect in tense which always means always and at all times.  These verses show the goodness of God all the time: when we realize His goodness and when we do not.

H.  I thank God for my old “archaic” Bible because it expresses a truth in our text that we so often overlook! 

1.  Verse 3 – “He Forgiveth” – all day, every time, in every way that we fail.  70x70x70x70 to the “nth” degree!  All sin!  Thank God for this every day of our lives.  We are still just sinners saved by grace and if God should mark iniquity, who could stand?  Thank you Lord for you forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

2.  Verse 3 – “He Healeth” – all our diseases!  God has given us a body that can heal itself; doctors and medicines that can heal us.  Our bodies are not just evolution and a series of accidents, we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  One of my surgeons once told me that he would do the best that he could but healing comes from God!  Thank God for this every day of your life.

3.  Verse 4 – “He Redeemeth” – God protects us from both self and circumstances continually.  I thank God every day for being a lot better to me than I deserve.  God goes a long way to protect the testimonies of sinners saved by grace.  God protects us from those who would do us harm.  Thank God every for the “hedge” that He has placed around us!

4.  Verse 4 – “He Crowneth” – God is loving, kind, and merciful to us every day.  His mercies are new every morning.  Loving us, being kind to us, being merciful to us.  I love the word “crowneth.”  On top of all our other blessings, God showers us with love, kindness, and tenderness.  Thank God every day for your relationship with the Saviour.

5.  Verse 5 – “He Satisfieth” – God gives us enough; all that we need; the desires of our hearts.  God blesses His children all day, every day!  I am satisfied!  Learn to be satisfied with what God gives you.  Thank God continually for His goodness.

6.  Verse 6-12 -  “He Executeth” – In everything give thanks!  For the bad as well as the good for it is in the valleys that we grow in faith.  We do not get everything that we want and thank God we do not get everything that we deserve.  The wheels of God’s judgment upon those who hurt us may be slow at times, but they are sure.  God is the executor of vengeance.  God is better to us than we deserve and has placed our eternal judgment upon Christ.  Thank you, Lord, every day!

7.  Verse 13- “He Pitieth” -  “To fondle, to be compassionate.  Does Jesus care?  Oh yes He cares!  God cares every day.  Casting all you care!  He knows how we feel and makes a way for us in every trial and every mile.

8.  Verse 14 – “He Knoweth” – God knows our feelings, our frame, our failures, our fights, because He made us.  God formed us upon the Potter’s Wheel with His hands, the Water of His Word, and the motion of our lives. 

9.  Verse 14 – “He knoweth … He Remembereth” – We are finite, but He is infinite!  He knows that we are but dust.  God never forgets what we are made of and who we are but continually, every day, all day long loves us anyway.  I am glad that God never gave up on this sinner!  I thank God constantly for loving a sinner such as I am!

Conclusion:  Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful time of the year but, as God’s work and the overseeing of our lives is one of continuity, so should our Thanksgiving be a continual one!  A time of remembering, a time of giving thanks to God for all His blessings, seen and unseen, known and unknown!