Benefits. So many benefits. All provided freely by our loving God!
By Dean Collins
It’s that time of year again. Yes, the Christmas holidays are coming, but before we get out the lights, the tree, and the ornaments, some of us are trying to figure out what we need to do about our health insurance and other benefits in 2024. For many employees, the last couple of months of the year is when employers have us reenroll and choose our plans for the next 12 months.
Those in their later 60s and beyond are flooded with mail and television commercials reminding us that it’s time to decide about Medicare supplemental plans. The amount of information that comes our way from employers and the government can be a bit overwhelming.
For several years I was an HR executive charged with making sure the company I worked for had competitive benefits. I discovered that employees always want more options and would prefer that they didn’t have to pay for any of their benefits. We all tend to want someone else to provide for us.
One key element of benefit enrollment season is good and clear communication about the benefit plan being offered. As I read Psalm 103 today, verse 2 jumped off the page:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”
Long before any employer considered what benefits to offer their employees, God was already reminding us of the benefits we have that flow from his love and kindness to us. So here is your benefits guide from the Lord:
He forgives all your iniquity
He heals all your diseases
He redeems your life from the pit
He crowns you with steadfast love and mercy
He satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s
There is more! Most employer benefit plans require you to choose which options you want. But our generous and loving Father provides all of our benefits. We need not choose which ones to enjoy. And he has paid the price for them. The psalmist continues reminding us of the strength of our benefits provider:
The Lord works righteousness and justice for the oppressed
The Lord is merciful and gracious
The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love
He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever
And here is a huge benefit:
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities
Sometimes the relationship between an employer and an employee can seem cold and transactional. After all, employers pay employees to do a job. Companies and organizations work hard to create healthy, family-like cultures in order to retain their workers. In the case of God, it is all about family. He is a loving Father who wants nothing but the best for his sons and daughters. The psalmist describes God’s love this way:
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.”
One aspect of benefit plans is care for dependents. Listen to these benefits for our loved ones:
“. . . and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. “
God’s provision is not just for us, but for the generations that follow us!
All that is required of us is to accept God’s love through the gift of his Son. God is faithful and will provide for all of us just as he promised. God will not deduct anything from your paycheck to cover this benefit plan. His grace and mercy cover the full cost. So join the psalmist as he encourages us to “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name…and forget not all his benefits!”
Your time with God’s Word
Psalm 103 ESV
Photo by PeopleImages at istockphoto.com
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