WHO LOVES YOU BABY?

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Pastor Rick Jackson

What is interesting about this verse is it gives us a peek behind the Devil's persona. When a lion goes out to hunt does he feel sorry for his prey? Does he feel remorse for what he is about to do? Or is he just out to satisfy his appetite? Of course, we don't blame the lion because he does not think on the same level on which we think, he does not reason, he does not consider the long term effects of his actions. Not so with Satan. The Bible plainly declares he is your personal enemy! He is searching for those whom he can completely destroy if he can. He wants to destroy you!

Strangely enough e don't think about that very often but people often accuse God of trying to spoil their fun, of ruining their lives, and of attempting to make them miserable. Grouch Marx once got on an elevator with a Catholic priest. The priest said, "I want to thank you for all the joy you have brought into this world."
Groucho replied, And I want to thank you for all the joy you have taken out of this world!"
That is the opinion that many have of God, that He doesn't like us, that He wants to rob us of joy- but is that the case? Look at Psalm 103 and we'll see, as Kojak used to ask, "Who loves you baby?"

The phrase "Bless the Lord" appears numerous times in this Psalm. We know what it means to curse,to denigrate, to bless means just the opposite, to lift up, to honor. Spurgeon said:

Jehovah is worthy to be praised by us in that highest style of adoration which is intended by the term bless--"All thy works praise Thee ,O God, but thy saints shall bless thee." your very life and essential self should be engrossed with this delightful service, and each one of us can arouse his own hart to the engagement. Let others forbear if they can: "Bless the Lord O my soul." Let others murmur, but do thou bless. Let others bless themselves and their idols, but do thou bless the LORD.

I. LOOK AT HIS BENEFITS [v. 1-12]

1. What He is Doing [v. 1-6]

2. What He has Done [v. 7]

3. What He is [v. 8]

4. What He will Not Do [v. 9]

5. What He has Not Done [v. 10-12]

II. LOOK AT HIS BEHAVIOUR [v. 13-19]

1. He has Compassion [v. 13]

He acts in accordance with His compassion [Jn. 3:16]

2. He has Knowledge [v. 14]

just as an architect or a builder knows the load bearing capacity of a structure's frame...

3. He has Everlasting Mercy [v. 15-17a]

4. He has Everlasting Righteousness [v. 17b-18]

that's our security!

5. He has Everlasting Rule [v. 19]

III. LOOK AT HIS BLESSING [v. 20-22]

1. From His Angels [v. 20]

2. From His Hosts [v.21]

3. From His Creation [v. 22]