#DailyDevotion God Wants To Be Merciful & Kind To Us
Psalm 103 My soul, praise the LORD, and everything in me, praise His holy name. 2My soul, praise the LORD, and don’t forget all the good He does:
Different cultures and philosophies teach that man has several inner parts. We don’t think or talk about it much these days. Freud had id, ego, and superego. In the Bible we often see soul, mind, spirit, and conscience. There may be others. It would seem the pslamist’s mind is calling out upon his soul to praise the LORD. The soul seems to be one of the higher parts of man. Not only does he call upon his soul, but then following that, everything in him to praise the LORD’s holy name. The soul not only can praise the LORD. It can remember and forget all the good the LORD does for us.
3He forgives all my wrongs, heals all my sicknesses, 4saves my life from being destroyed, crowns me with kindness and mercy, 5and satisfies me with good things as long as I live so that like an eagle my youth is renewed. 6The LORD does what is right and just for all who are oppressed. 7He let Moses know His ways and Israel the great things He did.
He tells his soul and everything in him what to praise the LORD and His name for: He forgives wrongs, heals, saves his life, crowns him with kindness and mercy, satisfies him with good things. We probably focus on only the first generally in church, because if we have forgiveness, we have life and salvation. But even we, in November, in the United States, we set apart a day to thank the LORD for all His other kindnesses and mercies toward us. Indeed, the LORD hears our prayer for daily bread and sets everything in motion in the world to accomplish answering that prayer. Having turned to the LORD for all good things and trusting in Him our youth is renewed. A friend of mine said of prayer, it lessens the burden.
The LORD did what is right and just for all the oppressed. He became man, the man Jesus Christ, suffered, died, was buried and raised from the dead on the third day. This reconciled all the world to God. It atoned for the sin of the world. It sanctified all our suffering and loss. It brings about the state of all things being made new on the eighth day.
8The LORD is merciful and kind, slow to get angry, and rich in kindness. 9He will not always accuse us of wrong or be angry forever. 10He hasn’t dealt with us as we deserve for our sins or paid us back for our wrongs. 11No, as high as heaven is above the earth, that’s how great His kindness is to those who fear Him. 12As far as the rising of the sun is from its setting, so far has He put our sins away from us. 13As a father has compassion for His children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear Him. 14He knows how we are made and remembers we are dust.
The psalmist invokes the name of the LORD revealed in Ex. 34:6. He quotes it almost verbatim here. The name reveals to us the nature and character of God. He is not some mean ogre in the sky just waiting for us to do something wrong so He can punish us. We see in Jesus, the Father wants to be merciful and kind to us. We can also see in our own lives that our Father in heaven doesn’t punish us with what our sins deserved, but He does discipline us with worldly consequences. Whenever we do suffer, we should examine our lives, confess our sins, and turn to Him for every good. Look how it describes kindness and forgiveness to us. High as the heavens is His mercy and His forgiveness knows no end, for those who fear, i.e. have reverence to Him.
So Jesus rightly teaches us to call God, Father. As we look to Him for all good, He has compassion on us. He knows our weaknesses and treats us accordingly.
Merciful and kind Father, remember Your words here. Give us proper fear of You so we may know Your mercy and kindness. Forgive our sins and turn our hearts towards You, through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit. Amen.