Psalm 103

(These are my personal reflections as I apply God's word to my life. No preaching intended.)

I've been reading through the Pslams for a while now. Today was PSALM 103 from the NIV.

I am called to-

 Praise the Lord, O my soul...

Why? It's a silly question, really, but God provides an answer for people like me who, when my eyes are focused on myself, have the audacity to ask, "Why."

Psalms 103 tells us that God:
...forgives all your sins
...heals all your diseases
...redeems your life from the pit
...crowns you with love and compassion
...satisfies your desires with good things
...your youth is renewed like the eagles

This does not mean I will get everything I ask for. I'm fallibly human and I will inevitably ask for things that do not agree with the will of God. And anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that, because of my former lifestyle, I should be well into my dirt nap. God not only redeemed my life from the pit, he blessed me far beyond what I deserve. To that I can only say, Praise the Lord, O my soul!

and the Lord is:
...compassionate and gracious
...slow to anger
...abounding in love

God is so gracious to me. Why is it so hard to extend this grace to others? Better question: Why do I continue to take his grace for granted? The answer isn't pretty.

He will not:
...always accuse
...harbor his anger forever
...treat us as our sins deserve
...repay us according to our iniquities.

From this list in Psalm 103 God comes across as a warm fuzzy guy who will grant all my requests. But a closer read reveals that these promises come with a contingency clause. To whom does he make these promises?

...so great is his love for those who fear him.
...the Lord has compassion on those who fear him
...the Lord's love is with those who fear him
...His righteousness [is] with...those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts

In today's "Don't-Offend-Anyone" Christianity, pivital truths of scripture are too-often glossed over for the more positive side of the message. But to focus only on God's promises and yet fail to identify to whom they are intended is an invitation down the broad, and very crowded, road. In my own reading of the Word I have, in the past, felt defeated because God's promises didn't seem to apply to me. "Why," I asked, "Why doesn't God deal with me as graciously as he does so-and-so." The answer is painfully simple: I didn't fear him. I didn't keep his covenants or obey his precepts. And, unfortunately, this remains an ongoing battle.

I will be eternally thankful that God does not deal with me as my sinful, selfish self deserves. I'm not saying there are never consequences; my life is riddled with them. But the sharp, jagged corners of those consequences have been padded by God's amazing grace.

It is my heart's desire to be a woman who properly fears and obeys the Lord. I have a long way to go. It wouldn't be an understatement to say that I'm in constant need of an overhaul.

Thank you, Lord, for being slow to anger and abounding in love.

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Comments

[Jennifer, Snapshot]

I hope you'll post your Read to Me results by Friday. I'd love to hear how you did.

[Halfmoon Girl]

Thank you for sharing that. I too have been pondering on God's promises and grace. Yes, I am saved, but He does require PARTICIPATION in my walk with Him, and in order to receive His many promises.

[Katherine]

Thanks for reading my blog! How did you find me? Thanks for posting this meditation-a blessing.