PRAISE GOD FOR THE CROSS
“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!”
This season we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There is much that has been written on the subject and too vast for one article. However, take a moment to think of how the psalmist David prophetically gives us a glimpse of the work of the cross.
David gives a two-fold exhortation:
1. Bless the Lord with all our soul.
2. Forget not all His benefits.
David then goes on to list five primary benefits the Lord has given to us:
1. WHO forgives all your iniquities.
The cross was the place that His blood was shed that sins and iniquities
may be forgiven and blotted out. Because of the cross we are fully forgiven.
2. WHO heals all your diseases.
Christ suffered thirty-nine stripes in this suffering process. The scripture
affirms that ”By His stripes we are healed”
3. WHO redeems your life from destruction.
To be freed from sin and redeemed is to be cleared from sin’s daily
destructive force in our lives and the final destruction that hell will bring.
4. WHO crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies.
His love was not only displayed on the cross but it is an everlasting love
with which He continues to pour out on us and surround us with every day
“I have loved you with an everlasting love and have drawn you with My
loving kindness”
5. WHO satisfies your mouth with good things so your youth is renewed like
the eagle’s.as the mother eagle feeds the mouth of the young eagles their
strength is renewed and they are growing. He feeds us the living bread and
the living water and daily renews us.Notice that they are daily benefits.
The reason I emphasize WHO is because we must continually remember that it is HE that accomplished these things for us through the cross, none of which we could accomplish ourselves.
mmmmm......Think on that!
In reflection, a friend of ours, Pastor Lou Peterson (now in heaven with Jesus), wrote a book a book called “It’s Still The Cross”. After reading it the Lord gave me a song based on that book. The words are as follows:
IT’S STILL THE CROSS
Words & Music: Colin R. Wellard
(Verse 1)
There upon a dark and lonely hill
Stood a wooden cross by the Father’s will
‘Twas there my Savior died in my place was crucified
And the cross is still the banner of my freedom
(Chorus)
It’s still the cross, it’s still the blood that cleanses me
Every day power is flowing to my life from that tree
It’s still the cross that sets the captives free
Men may despise it, people revile it
But we know it’s God’s love on display
There’s no doubt about, our voices will shout it
There’s no other way, it’s still the cross
(Verse 2)
Days of darkness covered all my life
I was without joy, in turmoil and in strife
But Jesus came my way turned my night to glorious day
And that’s how I know there’s power in the cross
(Bridge)
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah
O thank you Father for the cross
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah
Praise God forever for the cross
It’s still the cross
