Psalm 103

I can't wait to meet David. The shepherd king who poured out his heart using ink on papyrus in such wide sweeping strokes. He expressed emotions high and low and everything in between. The man knew the truth and he counted on it with his very life. He preached himself out of pits of depression and leveled his lofty pride when successes racked up and life was "all good". He rehearsed the character of Yahweh until it was as rhythmic as the breath in his lungs. He knew where to cast his fear, anger, shame, sadness - the same way he had thrown rocks at a giant. David knew no matter the height, depth or expansive width of his human emotions and life experiences - God was even more all-encompassing, surrounding and swallowing all of it up in his steadfast love. That's why I can't wait to meet David one day. Because I read his songs and poems and I find expression and validation for the things I don't have words for in life. I find hope for all the ups and downs, and I find truths to directly apply to the cries of my heart. And I can exhale with David in knowing and believing that God is always bigger. He is good. He loves me. He is ruling over all from his established throne. In the face of injustice, He sees and He is at work. In the face of oppression, He will lift up. He has forgiven and removed all of my sin. He is louder, stronger, bigger and better that what is going on in and around me. He is the LORD. And I am His. And in this I say, "Bless the LORD, O my soul. Let ALL that is within me bless His holy name."

Open to Psalm 103 and let the words of King David written to the King of the Universe direct your heart and mind to Christ Jesus and our glorious hope in the Gospel. If you have time, jot down what you see declaring these truths to be as real as ever in your life today...

According to Psalm 103,

God is...

holy

one who benefits and blesses

forgiving

a healer

a redeemer

powerful enough to bestow a crown

overflows with steadfast love

merciful

able to satisfy with good

powerful enough to renew the old and weary

righteous

just

active in working out righteousness and justice

makes known his ways

mericful

gracious

slow to anger

abounding in love

patient

forgiving

merciful (He doesn't treat us as we deserve)

to be feared

full of great steadfast love

able to remove sin

a father who shows compassion

wise and understanding regarding his creation

full of steadfast love

full of righteousness

a God of covenant

a God of commands and expects those in covenant with him to remember and obey

on His throne in the heavens

ruling over all

over the angles and they obey his voice

over all the hosts, ministers who do his will

worthy of blessing from all his works

has dominion over all his works

I am...

a worshiper

a "blesser" of God

called to remember his benefits

a recipient of the benefits of God

forgiven of all iniquity

healed (and being healed)

redeemed fromt eh pit

crowned with love and mercy

satisfied - and able to be satisfied with the goodness of God

able to be renewed by God when weak and weary

not alone in my fight against oppression and injustice

in a relationship with Yahweh - who is merciful, slow to anger and full of steadfast love towards me

shown patience

shown mercy and given undeserved grace

loved with an everlasting, steadfast love

unblemished and spotless with out transgression or sin

his child

shown compassion

considered by God according to my human limitations

a woman of frailty, brevity, mortality - my days are grass

a woman of momentary flourishing in this life - fleeting and fragile

easily forgotten in this world, but not by God

blanketed and covered by the LORD's steadfast love

recipient of His righteousness, even my offspring and generations after me

in covenant with God

called to remember and to do (obey) his covenant

expected by God to remember and do (obey) his covenant

able to remember and do his covenant in and through Christ

ruled by the LORD on his established throne

in God's kingdom

under the King of the Universe

created to bless the LORD with all my soul