Learning DAILY

 

Psalm 103:6-12, The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.  He made known all His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.  The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.  He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever.  He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.  For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

 

Almost all of the Psalms in the versions of the Bible I read have a title or quick description of what is in the Psalm.  Psalm 102 is described as a “prayer of the inflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord.”  Psalm 103 is described as “praise for the Lord’s mercies”.  I doubt it is coincidence that one follows the other.  Do you remember a time when you went through an extra long trial or experienced some type of deep emotional hurt?  Or was there a time when you went through the discipline process because of sin in your life?  Perhaps you are experiencing something like this now.  If so, you need to read all of Psalm 103 because it shows that God can take that deep hurt and heal it.  Read the first few verses of the Psalm and notice that it begins with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for what He has already done; that is where healing begins.

 

Let me point out some benefits for giving praise to the Lord because of His mercies.  He forgives, heals diseases (v. 3); He redeems your life from destruction (v. 4).  He satisfies your desires with good things (v.5) and His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him (v. 17).  And, He removes the sins from those who come to Him through His Son (v.12).

 

I used to have a poster with the question, “Lord, how much do You love me?” The rest of the picture was picture with Jesus with His arms extended saying, “This much”.  It signifies that Jesus Christ was willing to stretch out His arms on a cross and dies for whosoever might ask for His forgiveness.  “By doing this He broke the barrier that separates people from Himself by canceling the debt of sin (all your iniquities) so that anyone can enjoy a loving relationship with Him.  God’s love removes a person’s sin as though they never existed” (David Jeremiah Study Bible Comment).  That’s the meaning of verse 12 above; it is impossible to bring east and west together!  God’s love hates what is wrong and embraces what is right because that is His character.  His great love for each of us is the reason He sent His Son to take our place on a cross; we obtain the mercies describes in Psalm 103 when we accept Jesus as our Savior and live with Him as Lord.  God knew that we are unable to earn our way into His kingdom.  Verse 13 and 14 says, “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.  For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are but dust.”  The Father removes the sins of the one who comes to Him through the Son; His great mercy results in sins being remembered no more.

 

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