Psalm 103:1-18

1 Praise the LORD, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits—

3 who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The LORD works righteousness

and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,

his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust.

15 The life of mortals is like grass,

they flourish like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting

the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children’s children—

18 with those who keep his covenant

and remember to obey his precepts.

Reflection:

This is the life of “being and living found in God.” In the images revealed in this passage, starting with the initial praises given to God from David, we see that the love and compassion of our Father as infinite and unchanging. Everything in the world, including us, is temporary, but He is the same right from the start and to all of eternity.  The care from our Creator is as gentle, as it is powerful.  This psalm paints a vivid picture of what it is like fully living as the children of our sovereign God.

Response:

This Psalm declares what living the Christian life is all about. Let’s read through this Psalm with passion and conviction, asking that our hearts would be willing to receive all that it declares. Let’s thank our Father in heaven for who He is and as we live out the calling we have been given, may every word of praise uttered from our mouths be reflected and resonate in our thoughts and our actions today.