"Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits" (Psalms 103:2 AMP).
Many times in our lives, we carry on with many different tasks that must be fulfilled. We check them off as we complete them, and feel settled that we accomplished so much in one day. Only to find that tomorrow brings yet another set of tasks that we must begin in the hopes that we will fully carry out. For many people, that is just 'being busy'. Yet, those things are always centered on ourselves and our own agendas, when really; we were not created for ourselves, for we were bought with a price. God designed each one of us with Him in mind, creating us in the likeness and image of Himself. When we were chosen by God from the foundations of the world, our task or assignment was also set and given so that we could be used to complete that which the Lord had given.
In the given verse above, the Lord asks each of us to not only bless Him, but also not forget his many benefits. In other words, REMEMBER what He did for us, which were an act of kindness and a code of purpose to ALL of humanity. As you recall Jesus, as He sat with His disciples during the Last Supper, He said, "REMEMBER ME." The word REMEMBER is related to our performance as citizens in the Kingdom of God which requires each of us to DO something. The Hebrew word for BENEFIT is Gimmel, and means a treatment that is an act of good. The greatest benefit or act of kindness by God was revealed in John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." Jesus died for the benefit of all.
So we, in return, are to be simply...on Purpose. What does that mean? It means to purposefully be about the Father's business. How? By being the full running towards the empty or the rich running with a benefit towards the poor, just the same way the hand of Jacob grabbed the heel of Esau in Genesis 25:26. Deuteronomy 15:4 says it best: "Save when there shall be no poor among you, for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it." God expects us in our day-to-day endeavors to also open wide our hand to our neighbors, to the needy and to the poor (verse 11). Do whatever we can, when we have the resources, time, and ability to do so, to show an act of kindness to all of God's people.
The Purpose Development Institute trains people to reflect, during their quiet time, on lining up their thoughts, speech and actions as God intended with these daily confessions:
Your Thoughts-
Meditate on the benefits of God. Determine in your mind and heart that nothing will overcome your desire to become an asset to others as you see yourself as the full running toward the empty or rich running towards the poor.
Your Speech-
"I purpose to emulate God by giving."
"I purpose to give thanks to God."
"I purpose to give my resources to God in various ways of giving to others."
"I purpose to walk in the spirit of bountifulness towards others as I ward off the spirit of poverty."
"I purpose to speak kind words to others."
Your Actions-
Your purpose for the day is acts of kindness. Speak a kind word to someone you don't know. Allow your actions to reflect your desire to be a blessing to all and many doors will open.
About the Author
Lily L. Jenkins is the Founder and CEO of Lily Jenkins Ministries and Vice President and Co-Founder of the Purpose Development Institute. Her role is to oversee all Certified Coaches to ensure that they are promoting the basic tenants of Purpose Development in their practices and that all satellite institutes are using training materials that include the basic tenants of the Purpose Development message. A woman with many qualifications, Mrs. Jenkins is a Certified Human Behavior Consultant, Christian Life Coach and the first female Certified Purpose Development Coach. She has over 14 years of teaching experience at all levels including the university level as a Professor. Read More Here...