Psalm 103:7-11

 

He made known his ways to Moses,

    his acts to the people of Israel.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,

    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He will not always chide,

    nor will he keep his anger forever.

He does not deal with us according to our sins,

    nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

King David starts this psalm by leading himself in worship!  The word for "bless", repeated 7 times in 5 verses, means to adore with bended knee. As he recounts all of the benefits of a life in God's presence, David, mighty warrior king, takes a knee in humility and reverence.  David's life has been a series of ups and downs--he's been loved and hated, exalted and humbled.  But his soul only focuses on the joy of being forgiven, healed, redeemed, and crowned by the stubborn, unwavering, dedicated, faithful love of God.  David turns and preaches the gospel to himself, admitting that anytime there is justice and righteousness, it comes from God's hand alone.  God revealed His character to Moses more than 500 years before David lived, but this timeless promise still has David in awe.  To measure the mercy, grace, compassion, and steadfast love, King David has to go to the unmeasurable--heaven to earth, east to west, everlasting to everlasting.   God is Creator, Father, Promise Maker, and Promise Keeper.  David calls on everyone to bow with him in adoration!

I love this whole chapter.  I love to picture a mighty, wealthy, loved king in a massive "castle" bowing to someone he KNOWS is greater than himself.  I live in a little town in a little house, so I may not understand "vast" like King David did.  The ups and downs in my life compared to King David's are...well, there's no comparison.  😅 But I know what it means to be a sinner, to be sick, to be in a pit of despair.  And the same loyal, reliable, trusty love, compassion, and kindness that crowned King David crowns me.  And it crowns you, if you love Him and keep His ways.  The thought of it drives me to my knees in adoration and worship.  I pray you will join me there. 

 

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God

Ephesians 3:14-19