Psalm 103
Readings for this week June 17 - 23
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Day 1 – A Psalm of Praise
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Psalm 103:1-5
Right from its first word, Psalm 103 is a song of joyful thanksgiving for all the mercies God showers on us, especially His loving kindness in forgiving our sins and our failings, moving into adoration of the Lord upon His throne, and finally ending in a call for all of creation to acknowledge its creator and praise Him. The psalm is a highly devotional paean of praise to an incredibly graceful God who the psalmist has realised has lavished love upon him. These first verses express a variety of ways in which God has blessed the psalmist, listing reasons to praise the Lord.
We have so many different things to praise God for, so many things that He has done for us that we are thankful for, so much to praise Him for. There are the small everyday blessings, answers to prayer, the guidance and comfort that He gives us, the way He is always with us, every moment that God is with us throughout our day. There are also the bigger things, the wider reasons to praise Him, for our existence, for creation, for people and for the wonder and joy of being alive. And of course, we also need to simply praise Him for who he is, as the Creator who gave us life and the Redeemer who rescued us when we stumbled. There is always something to praise God for, big and small and in between, personal, corporate and cosmic, if we will just take the time to stop and think and praise Him for all He has done. And all that He is.
Question to Consider
What does it mean to praise God? How do you offer Him praise? For what things are you especially grateful for now?
Prayer
Lord God, I praise your holy name. Not only everything I have but also everything I am only because of your love and compassion. May your praises be ever on my lips, from day to day, hour to hour. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 2 – The God of Justice
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Psalm 103:6
It is utterly appropriate that one of the defining actions of God the psalmist mentions here is that God works for justice for the oppressed. Does God really know or care about all the bad stuff that goes on in this world? Absolutely He does. Not only does He care, but He also acts. Justice is part of who God is. His heart is for the poor and oppressed, not because He is biased, but because the world is biased against them. God promises that His judgement will fall upon social evils, on the people and the structures that hurt and oppress others. God wants an end to the dishonesty, greed and selfishness that cause suffering and poverty. He wants a fairer society in their place, a society where everyone can live without the fear of death through a lack of food and shelter.
It is the voiceless, the oppressed and the defenseless who are the special beneficiaries of God’s goodness. He is worthy of all praise because this is who He is; justice is part of His very nature. Justice was part of Jesus’ initial proclamation in the synagogue. Part of being a faithful servant of God is to bring oppressive and unjust situations to an end, standing with those in need of justice and restoration. But we also need to recognize that we are not strong in ourselves, and we need God’s help to properly be His justice-seeking people in this world. We are a people chosen by a loving and forgiving Father. The journey of justice is about following Him ‘sheepishly’ with a firm, unshakeable belief in justice for all people.
Question to Consider
What does live in praise of God’s justice look like? Why is it so important? What does it require of us?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you are a just God who acts. I praise you because you do not turn away or stand aside. Help me not to do so either. May I stand with those who are oppressed. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 3 – A Short, Sharp Summary
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Psalm 103:7-12
Think of someone very close to you, like a spouse, partner, parent, child, sibling or very close friend. Now think of how you might describe them in only 12 lines or less (it’s ok, you don’t have to write a poem – but feel free to do so if you want!). What characteristics most clearly define that person? What traits are abundantly evident in that person’s life, there for all to see? Would your description be accurate? Would it be recognizable to other people who also know this person? And how might someone describe you thus? What would they highlight? What the psalmist has done in today’s passage is a remarkable feat of literary skill, but also a wonderful sketch of who God is and why He is worthy to be praised.
Looking at his experience of God in his own life, but also beyond that to what he knows of the God of all creation, the psalmist highlights the gracious and merciful nature of God, especially the way in which He saves and redeems us, not dealing with us as we deserve, but forgiving us and wiping away our transgressions. He is compassionate with us, stooping down to lift us up rather than destroy us for our sin. The characteristics written about here were fully embodied in Jesus and his journey to the cross displayed them for the world to see. God is worthy of all praise and honor for the salvation and redemption that He has granted us, for the love He has lavished on us – something to which the only possible response is grateful praise and acceptance.
Question to Consider
What characteristics of God have meant the most to you? What experiences have formed your picture of who He is?
Prayer
Gracious Lord, your compassion never ceases to amaze and humble me, despite all I might deserve. I thank you for your mercy and ask that others would see such mercy in me. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 4 – God From Everlasting to Everlasting
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Psalm 103:13-18
All of life is contained within the book of Psalms. We have psalms of thanksgiving, psalms of supplication, psalms that plumb the depths of human lament and suffering, wisdom psalms, and of course psalms of praise like this one. But even as part of its praise of God, Psalm 103 doesn’t turn away from the uncertainty and fragility of life. When we looked at Psalm 139 and its magnificent evocation of God’s presence with us, no matter where we go, we also saw how He has known us since we were formed in the womb. Now, we travel to the other extremity of life, to its end, to our experience of the ephemeral nature of life, the fragility of our existence, and the unavoidable fact that it must end, and we must die.
Yet even here, God is still present. His compassion is such that even in our mortality He cares for us, promising that His love will be with us “from everlasting to everlasting.” The memory of God does not forget, and even as we navigate the passing of family and friends, the death and destruction life contains, and eventually our own death, yet will He remember us. The redemption offered through the cross of Christ and the eternal life available through His sacrifice is the final, ultimate sign that God has not and will not forget us. The entire arc of our lives, from before we were born until after we die, is encompassed by His love. He is faithful to His promises. For His boundless compassion, He is worthy of all praise.
Question to Consider
How has God comforted you when confronted by death? How do you hang on to the promise of eternal life in the hard times? How does God’s presence with you help?
Prayer
Almighty Father, thank you that your love is stronger than death, that death is not the final word, but that your faithful promises to us survive the grave. Give us comfort when we mourn. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 5 – The Only Possible Response
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Psalm 103:19-22
What else can be said? What else is it possible to say about God? We have seen that He is with us, that He knows us intimately, and that He talks to us and guides us in His ways. We know that He is the Creator, that He is Lord of All, He is sovereign, He is faithful. He shows mercy, He is just, He is compassionate, and He is love – a love that conquers death. And that is the message of this psalm: God is love. His essence is the covenant love for his chosen people and for all the nations of the world that will be joined to them. So committed to His people, and to the people of the world, is He that his love will culminate in the giving of His own son as a redemptive sacrifice to reconcile all creation to Himself. Psalm 103 praises the length, depth, height and breadth of this love.
So, what other response could we have to a display of such love than to offer praise to God and to glorify His name? The psalmist recognizes this, calling on the angels and the entire heavenly host to praise God for His love; exhorting the very works of God to praise and bless Him; and finally, just as at the beginning of the psalm, and just as we should, the psalmist calls upon his very soul to bless the Lord for His all-encompassing love. There is always reason to bless the Lord, to praise His name. When things are good, when things are bad, in life, in death, God remains the same: all loving and worthy of all praise – and always willing to welcome us into His presence to spend time with Him and be renewed in our love for Him.
Question to Consider
How have you experienced God’s presence with you through this series? What next steps can you take to remain closer to Him?
Prayer
Loving Lord, thank you for all you are and all you do. Thank you for intimacy and relationship and love. Thank you for your faithfulness and compassion. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)