Psalm 103:1-2 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:

When you interview for a job one of the things you always have to consider is the benefits package. When it is your livelihood and a position to care for wife and children, the benefits package may well determine if you accept an offer of employment.

What does that benefit package look like when you are offered the position of Christian? Here in Psalm 103 we will see a list of benefits which you can look at and see if you are willing to accept the offer.

Forgiveness, health, redemption, love, mercy, satisfaction, youthfulness, righteousness, justice, knowledge and future plans for you are in the offering. That is quite a mouthful and on the surface of that offer, it might seem unrealistic and unachievable but we are talking about God as your boss. Only God can make such an offer. Only God can make those benefits become real to those who choose to serve Him.

Here’s the catch, because there is always a catch. Notice there is no compensation package. There is no promise of wealth. These are just the benefits package and nothing in them states the terms and conditions of employment. What are those terms?

Psalm 103:18-19 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

You have to surrender your life to a sovereign God who shall rule over you. This isn’t a democracy, it is a monarchy.

Psalm 103:21-22 Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.

Be a blessing to Him in all that you do.

Ecclesiastes 3:1,9 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

1 Corinthians 3:6-8 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

Don’t we all want to see the seed of the gospel planted by us come to that point where the shoot breaks thru the surface and embraces the light? The nature of the seed will determine when germination will occur. No matter how many times we are told to scatter the seed we tend to linger and watch to see production from that germination. That seed can and often does lay dormant until the Holy Spirit swells within that heart and imbibition happens. It is not something we can make happen.

Our hope is to see fruit and in lingering too long where the seed has been scattered we seek profit rather than glory for God. We want to make a check mark on our record of souls saved but it is not ours to determine who is saved and who is not. Salvation belongs to the Lord and only He knows the end of all things.

He gave some to be evangelists, some to pastor, some to teach and nowhere do I see it said one man does it all. Being that there is a time and a season for all things, it is God who determines how the gifts He has given you will be used. We should not do the work of another when God has not prepared us to perform. That is self-determination and the leading edge of pride.

God resists the proud. (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5)