Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary's God Pause "Moved by the Promise" for Tuesday, 9 September 2014 - Psalm 103: A David Psalm1-2 O my soul, bless God.
From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
don’t forget a single blessing!
3-5 He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.
6-18 God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.
Men and women don’t live very long;
like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
leaving nothing to show they were here.
God’s love, though, is ever and always,
eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
as they follow his Covenant ways
and remember to do whatever he said.(The Message)
A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer. As she lay awake in the midnight hours before her surgery, the verses of various hymns ran over and over through her mind. On what was most certainly a high anxiety night, the promises of God were present. When sleep wouldn't come, she found herself praising God through the words of beloved hymns.
Psalm 103 is an individual hymn of thanksgiving. Even in the midst of life's storms, the psalmist praises God for all of God's goodness. The New Living Translation of the Bible translates verse 2 in this way: "Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me." It is easy to praise God when life is going well, but it can become more difficult to offer words of thanksgiving when life throws you a curveball. On challenging days, may you find simple ways to remember all of the good things God does for you.
Encourage me, Lord, to remember all of the good that you do. On challenging days, help me to find simple ways to offer you thanksgiving. Amen.
Lisa Kipp
Rochester, Minn.
Master of Divinity , 2013
Psalm 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.(New Revised Standard Version)
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