The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
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.
Psalm 103:6-10 ESV
In the second stanza of Psalm 103, David begins to recount how the Lord interacts with us. So many powerful words in this section, it’s hard to focus on just a few thoughts!
The Lord works righteousness and justice. This tells me that I can trust that He knows how some are oppressed and that He will take care of things.
And how wonderful is it that the Lord made Himself known to Moses. He makes Himself known to us also through His word. This is so beautiful to me, that God caused men to write out His word for us. He wants me to get to know Him!
But what most catches my attention in this stanza are God’s mercy and grace. Verse 10 defines mercy for us, not dealing with us as our sins deserve. God might, and often does, discipline us to show us our sin and correct us. But, if we have accepted Jesus’ salvation, we don’t get the death penalty that all sin deserves (Romans 6:23).
And not only does God give mercy, but He also gives us grace, pouring out on us blessings that we don’t deserve. He abounds in steadfast love (more on this next week) and is patient and generous to us because He’s a good father (Matthew 7:11). And thinking of all His blessings takes me back to the beginning of this psalm.
I guess that’s one of the reasons I find this psalm so wonderful. I can put myself in the psalmist’s place. Thanking God for all His blessings leads me to praise Him for Who He is and how He loves me, which leads me back to thanking Him for all He’s done. A beautiful cycle of worship.
Think About: How have you experienced God’s mercy and grace?
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