Claim your benefits – 14 May 2009

The Encarta UK English dictionary gives the following meanings of the word benefits:

·    Something that has a good effect or promotes wellbeing – e.g. they eventually reaped the benefits of all their hard work.

·    A regular payment made by the government under the national insurance scheme or social security to somebody qualified to receive it or in need of financial assistance

·    A payment or form of nonmonetary compensation made to a claimant or entitled person by an employer, insurance company, or other institution

·    Business compensation over and above salary given to some employees or partially paid for by the employing company, e.g., health insurance, retirement pay, or share options

·    A performance by entertainers, athletes, or others to raise money for somebody or something, especially a charity

I have presented the full menu of the possible meanings of this word (according to Encarta) so that one way or the other we will all have some benefit.

We are just coming from Easter (celebrating the Passover Festival) – when Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God died for us and yet some are already despondent.  Do we really know the importance of this event?  If we knew would we still behave or walk the same path as we walked yesterday?  

According to the first bullet point above, benefits imply some hard work behind them.  So if you have been working hard in the Kingdom of God (and this even means labouring to believe God’s promises), you can be assured of eventually reaping the benefits of your hard work, for God has promised our work will not be forgotten. (Hebrews 6 vs. 10)

The second bullet point particularly gets me thrilled. It tells me the government has an obligation to give me a regular payment provided I am qualified and I have a need according to the rules.  In the Kingdom of God you are qualified when you repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.  Do this if you have not done so already!  As for your many needs they will be met by the Government whose head is God.  Wow!  

The third bullet point tells me I have to claim my benefits and that only a person ignorant of the existence of a benefits package, or not in need of it, would not bother to fill in a form or seek somebody’s help to make the claim.  Today do not be disqualified because of ignorance.  Make your claim to God based on the promises in the bible.

In case you didn’t know, here is what Jesus Christ has done for us on the Cross:

Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of … Psalm 103 vs 2-7 [NIV]

If you don’t know Him or his ways, ask Him in prayer and he will do for you what he did for Moses and for the children of .