A COMPASSIONATE GOD
Recently I was reading through the book of Psalms when I came across Psalm 103. I have read this Psalm countless times, but this time it really stood out as an encouragement. Encouragement is something that is much needed as we see the world grow darker, we need to be reminded that our hope is not here on earth but in Heaven. Today, I am wanting to go through Psalm 103 with you and hope that you will receive some encouragement as well.
As the world grows darker, we as Christians tend to get focused on this world. We forget that God is greater than he who is currently given control of this world and often times we need a reminder of this. Psalm 103 is a great psalm to remind us of how great our Lord is, and gives us much needed encouragement.
“Bless the Lord, my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, my soul,
And do not forget any of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your guilt,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with favor and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”
The beginning of the Psalm is a reminder to bless the Lord, but it is not just a verbal blessing. It’s a reminder to bless the Lord with all that is within us, our heart, mind, body, and soul. When I think on what it means to bless the Lord with everything that I am, I am reminded of Romans 12:1. “12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” I am reminded that when I come before the Lord with praise or petition, I need to be sure that I am coming before Him in a manner that is acceptable to God who is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. It is a reminder to ensure that the worship that I am doing is praising God and not just going through the motion of worship or a worship that honors ourselves and not God. In Psalm 103, we are also called to remember His blessings. After all, it is God who pardons our sins, heals us, redeems us, and satisfies us. No act of man can give us these things, and there are many now who would wish to deny God of these abilities. Psalm 23 is another Psalm that shows how with the Lord we lack nothing, and through studying His Word and worshiping Him we can receive rest and refresh our souls.
“The Lord performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses,
His deeds to the sons of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in mercy.
9 He will not always contend with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our guilty deeds.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
14 For He Himself knows our form;
He is mindful that we are nothing but dust.”
In this time period it feels as if what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right. It might appear that people are getting away with their unrighteous actions, but that would be a mistake to think. That is why it is important to remember that God is not sitting idly by. He performs righteous deeds and will defend the righteous. But because He is compassionate and gracious, He does so on His time not ours. We need to remember that sometimes when we are struggling with something, it is a lesson for us to learn. We also need to remember that God is slow to anger and while there are times we wish that He would strike down those who are oppressing the innocent, we need to know that God does not wish for anyone to parish. Much like with Saul, He is using these times to bring sons and daughters to Him. It is through His abounding mercy that He has not unleashed His judgement upon this world, and as the Bride of Christ we need to remember that we will not be here for the judgement of the unbelieving world. Instead we will be removed from it. God will not keep His anger in check forever, and there will come a time when this world will face judgement.
But before we get too caught up in the desire for those who are doing wrong to face judgement, we need to humble ourselves and remember that we are all sinners and it is only through God’s grace and mercy that He does not deal with us according to our own guilty deeds. The ground is level at the foot of the cross, we all have sinned and fallen short of what God has called. But because He loves us enough to send His Son to die on a cross for us, He removes our transgressions as far as the east is from the west.
“As for man, his days are like grass;
Like a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place no longer knows about it.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting for those who fear Him,
And His justice to the children’s children,
18 To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts, so as to do them.”
Here we are reminded again that God will give justice to those who belong to Him, it just may not be in the timeframe that we want. This passage always reminds me of Matthew 6:26-30, “26 Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? 27 And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! ” Here we see that God loves the birds and grass enough to feed them and clothe them. Because we know that God loves us more than the birds, grass, and the rest of creation; how much more will He give to those who place their trust in Him?
“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
21 Bless the Lord, all you His angels,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
22 Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, my soul!”
With all of this in mind, Psalm 103 closes with another reminder to bless the Lord with all our soul, but it goes beyond that. It is a reminder that even the angels, which some people tend to place on the same level as God, are called to worship Him. This truly goes to show how great our God is! Everything has been created by Him and there is no place on earth, heaven, or hell that escapes His dominion! Bless the Lord!
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex