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