PSALM 103 For Ever Blessed

In Psalm 103 we are called, along with the angels of God
to bless our LORD and to keep in mind all the generous
and wonderful provision which our heavenly Father has made
and continues to make for us.
We remember that;-
he is our loving saviour (Psalm 103:2-3)
he is our merciful redeemer (Psalm 103: 6-11)
and he is our everlasting Father (Psalm 103:13-18)
Psalm 103 starts and finishes by exhorting our hearts
to glorify our heavenly Father with the words...
"Bless the LORD, O my soul"

There is a world of holy angels
who are ever praising the LORD.
If we were not fallen creatures,
that would be the constant delight
of the whole human race.
But for those who are born of God,
We are to bless the LORD
in complete harmony with the company of heaven.

We shall more perfectly do so when we take our place there.

Psalm 23:4 ESV
Even though I walk through the valley
               of the shadow of death,
        I will fear no evil
for you are with me;

Psalm 73:24 KJV
Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel
and afterward receive me in to glory.

John 1027-28  ESV
My sheep hear my voice,and I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish
and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Micah 6:8 ESV
   and what does the LORD require of you ?
but to do justice and to love kindness
   and to walk humbly with your God.

1John 1:3 ESV
    indeed our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son Jesus Christ

Psalm 41:12 ESV
You have upheld me...............
   and set me in your presence for ever.

Psalm 103:22 ESV
Bless the LORD , O my soul  !

PSALM 103 WORD OF GOD

Psalm 103: 14,15,16 NIV
14   for he knows we are formed ,
       he remembers that we are dust.
15   As for man, his days are like grass,
       he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16   the wind blows over it and it is gone

Choirs of heaven witness the spring of our lives
and rejoice in the days when we blossom.
After the storms of life, the empty sea bears witness
that our voyage in this realm is over.

Psalm 103:17 NIV
17  But from everlasting to everlasting
      the LORD'S love is with those who fear him,
      and his righteousness with their children's children-

But the kindness of Yahweh rests on our shoulders forever.
His love is upon our flesh from generation to generation.
His face smiles upon us and upon our children
and grandchildren.       .  .  .        bless the LORD.

Psalm 103:18  NIV
18   with those who keep his covenant
       and remember to obey his precepts.

But He has already ransomed us from death
and surrounded us with with love and tender mercies.
This is the LORD who's covenant we keep,
                            who's precepts we shall remember to obey.
Psalm 103:19-20 NIV
19   The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
       and His kingdom rules over all.
20   Praise the LORD, you his angels
       you mighty ones who do his bidding
       who obey his word.

When we give our word, we give our promise
and we give our undertaking.
Together with the angels of God we give our undertaking
to obey His word.......

Psalm 103:20 KJV
Bless the LORD, ye his angels,
That excel in strength, that do his commandments,
Harkening unto the voice of his word.

Listening to the word of God
Obeying the word of God
Performing the word of God.
                        

PSALM 103 Gracious LORD

Psalm 103:8-10  NIV
8    The LORD is compassionate and gracious
      slow to anger, abounding in love.
9    He will not always accuse
      nor will he harbour his anger forever.
10  He does not treat us as our sins deserve
      or repay us according to our iniquities.

Compassionate and gracious; two of the main qualities
which reveal how our LORD cares for us.

Our Lord gives us freedom to choose our own future.
His choice for our future is gracious and compassionate.
May we choose what God hopes for us
.
Psalm 103:11 NIV

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him.

This is the context of our spirituality,
The one to one love of our Lord and Saviour
is also the context of our daily living and breathing,
but once we become aware of the warmth of His love
and the constancy of His love,
the winter of our spirituality becomes vibrant summer.
Let us accept God's love
in all its vastness,
in all its fullness.

Psalm 103:12 NIV

12  as far as the east is from the west,
      so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

You are neither on remand nor on parole.
"This day you will be with me in paradise".
It is tea, with the governor, in his garden,
right now and from now on.

Let us receive the fullness of His forgiveness.

Psalm 103:13 NIV

As a father has compassion on his children
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 

Our God is a father to his people.
That He has compassion on His people
reveals the character of our God.
He is an example to faithful fathers.
It is Godly to show compassion to our children.
It is a requirement of righteousness to have compassion
on our children..

PSALM 103 Make known His ways

Psalm 103:7  NIV

7   He made known his ways to Moses
     His deeds to the people of Israel.

It is the will of God that we may know his ways
     and make known his deeds to people of our day.

We pray that God's ways may be known on earth
whenever we pray   "Thy will be done on earth"
And our own witness should reveal "God with us"
and His ways.

When we share in people's good news
and in their disappointments, with generosity
and understanding, we are exposing God's love.

That is a good context in which to share the Good News.

PSALM 103 Renew your youth

Psalm 103:5 NIV

     Bless the LORD.....

5   who satisfies your desires with good things

     so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

We are sometimes in a position to help people achieve something good.

We are sometimes in a position ; to be enabling , to be helpful,

to be generous with our time because someone needs a little help

or encouragement to do what they are trying to do.

Let us be filled with youthful renewal.

May our good demeanor and our smiles

show that we are young at heart.

Psalm 103:6 NIV

The LORD works righteousness and justice

      for all the oppressed.

If we don't really notice who is oppressed, financially, socially or

medically in our community, we are still immature spiritually.

Those who are mature spiritually are Christlike in the way 

they are already working wonders, very quietly, 

for good people in a difficult corner.  

PSALM 103 Bless the LORD

PSALM 103:3 NIV
     Bless the Lord.....
3   who forgives all your sins
     and heals all your diseases.

Here it is, all written down to guide our Christian discernment.
What is Godlike?, What is Christlike?...forgiving and healing!
If our words or actions are unforgiving and wounding, it is not
the love of Christ within which is prompting our actions.
When we look back at the day,
before the Lord in prayer,
and we can see that what we did or said
brought forgiveness or healing to someone,
or to a relationship or to a situation,
then we were being Christlike.

Psalm 103:4 NIV
      Bless the Lord....
4    who redeems your life from the pit
      and crowns you with love and compassion.

If you crown your sister with love and compassion
you will warm her heart and she will be glad.
If you can say or do anything to redeem a situation,
that is Christlike.

PSALM 103 Praise the LORD

Psalm 103 NIV
1   Praise the LORD, O my soul;
*   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
*all that is within me  KJV, NRSV, NASB.

We need to do a lot more than sing this song
without thinking about the words.
We want to do more than sing this song with gusto.
We will cry out this Psalm
from the very core of our being.
As our lips give expression to this Psalm,
the soul and all its powers need to be engaged.

Psalm 103:2 NIV
2   Praise the Lord, O my soul
     and forget not all his benefits.

We need to remember and acknowledge all the benefits,
blessings,and  favours, which the LORD is continually
conferring upon  us. We need to call them into recollection
in prayer, by grace, before God.

1st Chronicles 16:12 
 Remember his marvelous works, that he hath done,
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth.  Psalm 105:5 

PSALM 102 Cry to the LORD

Psalm 102:25-27 NRSV
25 Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth
            and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you endure;
            they will wear out like a garment.
27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.


Hebrews 1:10-11 NRSV
10 And, In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth,
            and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
            they will all wear out like clothing;
12 like a cloak you will roll them up,
            and like clothing they will be changed.
     But you are the same, and your years will never end.


The word of God, in Hebrews, is saying that
Jesus is the "LORD" of Psalm 102:25-27.
He is the Creator, the eternal one who never changes.
He is Yahweh of Psalm 102.


Psalm 102:12 NRSV
But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever ;
       your name endures for all generations,


The God who is "enthroned forever"               v12
and outlasts heaven and earth                    v25-27
"will regard the prayer of the destitute,
and will not despise their prayer,"                    v17

So when we are afflicted......
However bad things seem.......
However impossible the situation looks.......
This is the Lord before whom we pray:

The Triune  God of the Old testament
who is the Triune God of The New Testament
and is also the Triune God of our prayers
who inhabits our worship.


Psalm 102:27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.
Hebrews 1:12 But you are the same, and your years will never end

Our Saviour Jesus Christ is eternal God.

Romans 6:23....but the gift of God is eternal life
                          through Jesus Christ our Lord.

PSALM 101 A Triple Tongue

Psalm 101:5 NRSV
The one who secretly slanders a neighbor
I will destroy.
A haughty look and arrogant heart
I will not tolerate.

There are those who by insinuations and false accusations
endeavor to supplant the upright, to gain their office
or some new advantage.
He who speaks with a triple tongue against his neighbor
or fellow servants of God, he slays three persons.
1  The person or people he slanders,
2  Those to whom he communicates the slander.
3  Himself the slanderer.

The Chaldee translation of Psalm 101:5
refers to the slanderers triple tongue.

PSALM 101 Trustworthy People

Psalm 101:3-4 NRSV
I will not set before my eyes
anything that is base.

I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
Perverseness of heart shall be far from me:
I will know nothing of evil.

Loving parents pray that their children have discernment
and choose appropriate friends.

Caring counselors might pray that their clients
find supportive and not corrosive company.

Psalm 101:7 NRSV
No one who practices deceit
shall remain in my house;
no one who utters lies
shall continue in my presence.

We should not condone or permit
in our own home, in our own business
or in areas where we have responsibility and authority,
activity and behaviour which is against our own
Christian conscience.

It is folly to put our trust in persons
who are not trustworthy.
There is no virtue in exposing our family and friends
to wicked and unprincipled people
whatever their wealth or fame of popular standing.

PSALM 101 The Perfect Way

Psalm 101:2 NRSV
I will study the way that is blameless.
When shall I attain it?

I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;

We have chosen the perfect way,
Jesus Christ is the way.

John 14:6 AV
        Jesus saith unto him
        I am the way, the truth, and the life
        no man cometh unto the Father but by me.

We walk in grace, not in our own strength.
At home, in our own family and in public;-

not by might, not by power, but in my Spirit
says the Lord of Hosts.

Psalm 101:6 NRSV
I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
so that they may live with me;
whoever walks in this way that is blameless
shall minister to me.

PSALM 101 A PLEDGE

Psalm 101:1  NRSV
I will sing of  loyalty and of justice;
to you , O LORD, I will sing.

All in authority need personal integrity.
Verse 1 is a pledge of integrity and justice
which we can make for our own areas
of responsibility.

We who practice mercy, kindness, truth
and justice in our own lives, as a parent,
or in our own workplace,
do so as representatives of God
and as members of the body of Christ.

Psalm 101:1 New Catholic Version
I will sing of kindness and justice;
to you, O LORD, I will offer praise in song.