WOW! WHAT BENEFITS
PART 1
written by Pastor Willie Soans
Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
The word for benefit comes from the Hebrew word ’gemul’. This is a picture of a camel carrying innumerable treasures to you and for you.
When you worship, either alone, or with people, God sends you a ‘camel’ as it were, carrying some peculiar treasures just for you. The understand also expands that God Himself rewards you in His own way.
In my journey of worship, I have gleaned so much from God personally. Let me share some with you.
The first benefit that truly drops deep into your soul is peace. While the dictionary terms this word as ‘tranquillity or quiet’, the ‘shalom’ or the peace of God that comes to you, is not just avoiding noise. True peace is that which is operating amid conflict and chaos.
The Biblical understanding of ‘shalom’ is to be in a state of absolute wholeness or completeness, without any deficiency or lack. And there is complete wellness in every area. This is what Jesus has given to us. His very own peace!
Did you know that peaceful people are always joyful people?
The Bible says that Jesus had an anointing on Him…
Hebrews 1:8-9 But to the Son He says: Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
In the above Scripture, God was speaking concerning His Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ. He said that He had anointed Him with the oil of gladness, and we see it throughout Jesus’ ministry while He was on earth. Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for the atonement of our sins and taught us about the Kingdom of God. His anointing surpassed that of His disciples and those before Him, like the prophets of old. Because we are in Christ, we have the anointing of gladness, and we experience it in various ways on our journey of maturing in our faith.
1. Peace
The first benefit that comes within minutes of worship is the peace of God. Anytime God is present, there is peace. He is the God of all peace (2 Thessalonians 3:16).
Peace is defined by the Merriam Webster as “a state of tranquillity or quiet,” while the Oxford Dictionary defines it as “the state of being calm or quiet.”
However, peace in the Bible includes even more than these definitions. Biblical peace is more than just the absence of conflict or state of rest.
In the Bible, the word “peace” comes from the Hebrew word shalom and according to Strong’s concordance, it means completeness, soundness, and welfare. It comes from the root word ‘shalam’ which means to make amends or to make whole or complete.
To have shalom (peace) in the Bible means to be in a state of absolute wellness in every area. This is what Jesus has given to us. His very own peace!
Remember that Jesus Himself said, John 14:27 (NKJV) Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
When you enter into worship, you will experience the peace of God, which is different from the peace of the world.
His name is Yahweh Shalom (Judges 6:24), which means the LORD Is Peace. Jesus is the prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6).
You cannot be in the presence of God without experiencing peace, because it is who He is.
See you next time.
Walk in His peace in the while!
