Forget Not All His Benefits
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:2
Most companies offer an employee benefits package, typically including incentives like health and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, retirement plans, bonuses, profit-sharing and stock options, paid time off for vacations and sick leave, and/or a myriad of other attractive perks to draw and maintain workers who will serve their company well. As the wife of a retired airline pilot, my favorite benefit has undoubtedly been the privilege of traveling without cost wherever the airline happens to fly, often in first class. This perk has enabled us to minister around the world without requiring compensation from those we serve, and it lasts a lifetime—or as long as the airline lasts.
However, one must know how to apply this benefit judiciously, seeing it as a privilege rather than an entitlement. There is a written code of conduct, including specifications for appropriate attire, regulations for onboard behavior, and the implicit understanding that paying customers always have priority over non-revenue passengers. One must be a family member of the employee in order to qualify. Over the course of thirty-five years, we know the drill inside out.
So how was it possible that we completely overlooked another valuable benefit—hotel points? Well, commercial airline employees don’t accrue these points because the major airlines negotiate with hotel chains to accommodate their crews at costs far below the rack rates. So occasionally we’d hear friends talk about using points to stay at a hotel or resort, but since this information didn’t apply to us, we didn’t retain it. When my husband Philippe began flying for a small charter company after his airline retirement, we were unaware of any tangible benefits.
When we were preparing to go to the MICN Global Gathering in Turkey this past October, a close friend and fellow member of the APT, Karen Boutch, mentioned she was planning to use hotel points to stay overnight at a Marriott hotel in Izmir after the conference. Thinking it would be fun to join her, I suggested to Philippe that we consider this possibility. Never having done this before, he opened his Marriott app, astonished to discover hundreds of thousands of points he had accumulated over the past three years while flying for this little charter company! We could stay at a luxury hotel for almost nothing because the previously-hidden benefit was there for us to use anytime we wanted. We were giddy like little kids at Christmas, dreaming about all the places we might stay without having to pay.
It struck me that many of us, as members of the body of Christ, are likewise unaware of the magnitude of the benefits our Lord has set apart for us simply because He loves us and we carry His name. Psalm 103:2 reads, Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Over the course of the next several verses, the psalmist, King David, recounts one benefit after another: He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases; He redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion; He satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
With unstoppable momentum, David’s Spirit-inspired words crescendo to a climax: For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. What worldly benefit could possibly compete with that? The sin that once separated us from our Father in heaven has been blotted out by the blood of His Son, never to be remembered again. But His love remains.
While praising the Lord, the psalmist reminds us to “forget not” His benefits. In other words, we must choose to remember, to call to mind what the Lord has done—to count our blessings. I was given an object-lesson opportunity to put this into practice very recently. Two days prior to our anticipated departure for Europe in late September, Philippe visited his flight doctor for a compulsory commercial pilot physical, including an electrocardiogram. Upon reading the EKG, the doctor said, “Look at this bottom line. I’m reading it as a possible infarction—a heart attack.”
As Philippe began protesting, “Well, we’re leaving for Europe in two days…” his doctor interrupted with, “I don’t think so. I’m send you to a cardiologist, stat.”
Phoning as he left the medical office, Philippe broke the news to me. Although I was a bit nonplussed by this unexpected turn of events, perfect peace soon washed over me like a gentle spring rain. Remembering the assurance of God’s abiding presence I’d experienced seven years ago on hearing of my own diagnosis with cancer, I was able to praise Him in anticipation of the benefits I knew would be available to us again.
When Philippe walked through the door that morning, I hugged him for a long time. Then I said, “Now we’re going to praise the Lord, because this is what we know is right to do.” In complete agreement, we began to bless the Lord, remembering His faithfulness to us in the past, anticipating that same faithfulness in the future. As I laid hands on my husband and began to pray, the Holy Spirit manifested His power through repeated electric-like jolts, reminding me of the words of Jesus saying, “I felt power going out from me.” And we gave thanks to the Lord for that.
The following morning, Philippe met with the cardiologist recommended by his flight physician. Doing a repeat EKG in his office, the doctor looked at the printout and said, “Well, this is different from the one done yesterday. I don’t really see a problem here.” But just to cover all the bases, he ordered a nuclear stress test as well as an echocardiogram to be done the following week. When we met with him to learn the results, he smiled at Philippe and said, “Well, you have a strong, healthy heart.”
Obviously, we were deeply grateful for this confirmation of the Lord’s benefit expressed in verse three of Psalm 103, “and heals all your diseases.” While saddened at not being able to represent the Ambassadorial Prayer Team at the Global Gathering, we purposed to look beyond our immediate disappointment to consider how the Lord might apply this lesson for an even greater benefit to the body of Christ. Perhaps it is to encourage you right now as we close out 2023 and prepare to greet a brand-new year.
What hidden benefits are just waiting for you to discover? He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases; He redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion; He satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s. God’s benefit plan is available to every one of His children for the asking. What better resolution with which to begin the New Year than to praise the Lord and remember His benefits?
As part of our ministry as MICN prayer ambassadors, we make ourselves available to travel to member churches to teach on prayer, preach, and pray for pastors and their families, staff, and members of the congregation. We invite you to consider this opportunity and contact us at jan@micn.org for more information. Don’t wait. Discover yet another benefit the Lord has set apart for you.
Jan de Chambrier
MICN Prayer Ambassador
