Hope for the sinner
Sometimes, when circumstances throw me off (in other words, when I've sinned!), I need a reminder of how God feels about me. And instead of trying to conjure up spiritual feelings or "pray myself" back into his good graces, I simply go to his Word. There I find his matchless love expressed in such beautiful ways. This, then, drives me to my knees in repentance over my naturally rebellious heart. He then forgives with such completion that my mind is renewed and my heart begins to overflow with his presence again. Oh, it's such a beautiful process. For a reminder of how God feels about us, we need go no further than Psalm 103. I memorized it as a third grader as part of my christian school's curriculum and it's still stored in my heart to this day (another reason, parents, to required your children to memorized scripture...it works, it lasts and it'll help 'em when they need help). If you're God's child, please enjoy my "bullet point" version of this amazing Psalm. It's the love and truth from God we all need to make it through each day.
Let all that I am praise the Lord and may I never forget the good things he does for me:
- He forgives my sin(s)
- He heals my diseased heart
- He redeems my life from destruction and crowns my head with love and tender mercies
- He fills my life with good things
- He is compassionate and merciful
- He is slow to get angry with me and filled with unfailing love
- He will not constantly accuse me nor remain angry forever (thank goodness!)
- He does not punish me for all my sins
- He does not deal harshly with me like I deserve (wow...can you imagine if he did?)
- Because I fear him, his unfailing love for me is as high as the heavens are above the earth (this is how far he has removed my sins from me; as far as the east is from the west!)
- He is like a father to me; tender and compassionate, knowing I am weak and remembering I'm nothing but dust
- His love for me remains long past when the grass and wild glowers wither away
- His salvation extends toward my children' children because I am part of his faithful covenant; because I obey his commandments
Therefore, I must praise the Lord! Everything he has created; everything in all his kingdom. Let all that I am praise the Lord.