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.
Count your blessings; count them one by one… Those are the words to a hymn but the actual words are not in the Bible. The theme of the blessings of God, however, are all over the Bible, including in this psalm. The psalmist knew what he deserved because he knew what God required. The Torah is clear about how God redeemed the people from bondage in Egypt, chose them as his people, entered into covenant with them so he was their God, and gave them the law. The law seems harsh and insurmountable with 613 statutes, but so is his steadfast love. That is what the psalmist celebrated here.
We are the Warming Center for MIddle Township and we meet people who are no different than us but for one reason or another, have no place to lay their head. Some people may think they deserve better. The truth is hard but beautiful. We deserve no better and we are no better. Praise the Lord that he does not give us what we deserve! Whatever we think we have earned, we have really earned our way into Hell. We have the steadfast love of God to thank for the fact that we have not been destroyed. He sent Jesus to pay for our sins so we can praise him no matter what our circumstances. Today, count your blessings…
Count them one by one!
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church