Remembering God's Steadfast Love and Benefits

The call today is to remember, to actively recall the steadfast love and benefits of God, and to resist the spiritual amnesia that so easily creeps into our lives. Life is full of distractions and the gravitational pull is always toward forgetfulness, not just in our daily routines but in our spiritual walk as well. This is not a new problem—ancient Israel was repeatedly warned to remember the Lord and not to forget His works. The antidote to this forgetfulness is intentional self-talk, as modeled by David in Psalm 103: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” This is not just a poetic exercise, but a spiritual discipline that rewires our hearts and minds toward gratitude and praise.

David’s strategy is to immerse himself—and us—in the wide landscape of God’s benefits: forgiveness, healing, redemption, satisfaction, and renewal. These are not abstract concepts, but realities to be personally experienced. It is difficult to offer genuine praise if we have not encountered God’s goodness firsthand. The invitation is to seek a fresh encounter with God, especially in seasons of dryness or difficulty, and to make thanksgiving personal and real.

A central theme is the Hebrew word “hesed”—steadfast love, lovingkindness, covenant loyalty—a word so rich that no single English word can capture its depth. It is the love that gives everything when we have a right to expect nothing. This love is not given randomly, but to those who fear God, who respond with reverence and obedience. The psalmist contrasts our fleeting, fragile existence with the everlasting nature of God’s love: our days are like grass, but His steadfast love is from everlasting to everlasting.

This call to remember is not just for individuals, but for the whole community, for all creation, and it finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ. Jesus, knowing our tendency to forget, gave us a meal—communion—as a tangible, recurring reminder of His covenant love and the immeasurable benefits we have in Him. The right response is a posture of thankfulness, reverence, and humility, blessing the Lord for all He has done, is doing, and will do.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The discipline of remembering God’s benefits is essential to spiritual health. Forgetfulness leads to thanklessness, which erodes the foundation of faith. Like David, we must actively command our souls to recall God’s goodness, especially in a world full of distractions and interruptions. [33:49]
• 2. God’s steadfast love—hesed—is a covenant love that gives everything when we deserve nothing. This love is not a vague sentiment but a concrete, load-bearing reality that undergirds our relationship with God. It is a love that forgives, redeems, and renews, and it is the foundation for all true gratitude and worship. [47:40]
• 3. Experiencing God’s benefits must be personal, not just theoretical. Praise and thanksgiving flow most naturally from firsthand encounters with God’s forgiveness, healing, and renewal. In dry or difficult seasons, pressing in to seek a fresh experience of God’s goodness is vital for a living, vibrant faith. [42:38]
• 4. The benefits of God are not given arbitrarily but are received by those who fear Him—those who approach with reverence, humility, and obedience. The immeasurable distance between east and west is the measure of God’s forgiveness for those who revere Him, and His compassion is as a father’s to his children. [56:00]
• 5. Communion is God’s countermeasure to spiritual forgetfulness. Jesus infused the ancient Passover meal with new meaning, making it a recurring act of remembrance for His followers. Participating in communion with a thankful, reverent heart is a way to bless the Lord and to anchor our souls in the reality of His steadfast love and all the benefits we have in Christ. [65:28]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [14:11] - The Fear of Man vs. the Fear of God
• [16:09] - Authenticity, Burden-Bearing, and Witness
• [18:06] - Praying Big Prayers and Interceding for Others
• [22:41] - Community, Outreach, and Upcoming Events
• [27:31] - Updates on Agape Myanmar Mission
• [29:20] - Singing Psalm 61: When Hearts Are Overwhelmed
• [31:21] - The Power of Self-Talk and Spiritual Amnesia
• [33:49] - The Danger of Forgetting and David’s Strategy
• [39:30] - God’s Benefits to Individuals
• [43:13] - The Untranslatable Word: Hesed (Steadfast Love)
• [48:17] - God’s Steadfast Love to Israel
• [50:50] - God’s Self-Revelation and Compassion
• [56:00] - The Condition: Those Who Fear Him
• [59:39] - The Contrast: Human Frailty and God’s Everlasting Love
• [61:40] - Communion: The Meal of Remembrance
• [65:28] - The Posture of Thankfulness in Communion
• [68:44] - Preparing Our Hearts: Blessing the Lord in Gratitude

Bible Reading

Psalm 103 (ESV) — 1 Bless 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 iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Observation Questions

1. In Psalm 103, what specific “benefits” does David list that God gives to his people? (see verses 3-5)
2. How does David describe the nature of God’s love in this psalm? What word is repeated, and what does it mean? ([43:13])
3. According to the psalm, who are the people that receive God’s steadfast love and forgiveness? What is the “condition” mentioned? ([55:18])
4. What contrast does David make between human life and God’s love in verses 15-17? Why do you think he does this? ([59:00])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think David talks to his own soul and commands himself to “bless the Lord” and “forget not all his benefits”? What does this reveal about the human tendency to forget God’s goodness? ([35:04])
2. The sermon described “hesed” as a love that gives everything when we have a right to expect nothing. How does this understanding of God’s love challenge or encourage your view of God? ([47:40])
3. The psalm says God’s benefits are for “those who fear him.” What does it mean to “fear” God in this context, and how is it connected to receiving his benefits? ([55:18])
4. The sermon mentioned that Jesus gave us communion as a “countermeasure” to spiritual forgetfulness. Why do you think a physical act like communion is important for remembering God’s love and benefits? ([01:01:40])

Application Questions

1. The sermon said that “forgetfulness leads to thanklessness, which erodes the foundation of faith.” What are some distractions or routines in your life that make you forget God’s goodness? What is one practical way you can “remember” this week? ([36:20])
2. David’s self-talk in Psalm 103 is a spiritual discipline. Have you ever tried intentionally reminding yourself of God’s benefits? What would it look like for you to practice this kind of self-talk daily? ([35:04])
3. The sermon challenged us to seek a fresh encounter with God, especially in dry or difficult seasons. When was the last time you personally experienced God’s forgiveness, healing, or renewal? If it’s been a while, what is one step you can take to seek God this week? ([42:38])
4. “Hesed” is described as steadfast, covenant love that gives everything when we deserve nothing. How does this truth affect the way you approach God in prayer or worship? Is there an area where you struggle to believe God’s love is really for you? ([47:40])
5. The psalm says God’s benefits are for those who “fear him”—who approach with reverence, humility, and obedience. Is there an area of your life where you need to grow in reverence or obedience to God? What would that look like this week? ([55:18])
6. Communion is described as God’s “countermeasure” to spiritual forgetfulness. How do you usually approach communion? Is it routine, or do you take time to remember and give thanks? What could you do differently next time to make it more meaningful? ([01:05:28])
7. The sermon ended by inviting us to bless the Lord with thankfulness, reverence, and humility. What is one specific thing you are thankful for today that you want to intentionally praise God for? ([01:08:44])