Psalm 103 (2)

“Bless Yahweh O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; who satisfies your years [or desires] with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” Psalm 103:2 – 5.

We lure people to church, and keep them in church, by preaching and teaching a “bless me” mentality. It is all about me, all about you, all about us. Not long ago Vickie and I were in a church service (I can’t really term it a worship service) in which every single song was about “me, me, me”. What a shame, and I do mean shame.

As we will see, it isn’t that we are not to be aware of God’s blessings, and of His desire to bless us; it is rather that our focus is to be the True and Living God, that we are to love Him and worship Him, and to give thanks for His blessings. In fact, we are to give thanks no matter what may be going on in our lives – for He is worthy to be worshiped and praised. After all, are not our lives to be living sacrifices?

We are not to forget the many blessings and benefits that our Father bestows upon us, including pardon, healing, redemption and lovingkindness and compassion. We are pardoned from our sins through Christ; our inner person (all that lies within us) is healed in Christ and is being healed, this will be ultimately manifested in the redemption of our body in the resurrection; we have been redeemed from the pit by and through Christ, from the abyss of sin and Satan; and we are being crowned with lovingkindness and compassion – that is, our Father is constantly showering us with His kindness and goodness.

Consider the image of being crowned; a crown rests upon the head, it encircles the head. Can we sense our God, the Holy Trinity, bestowing His grace and mercy on our minds, in our thoughts? Do we know the peace that passes understanding, the peace that is guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus? Do we experience “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is fixed on You, because he trusts in You”?

Our kind heavenly Father desires to bestow His goodness on our hearts and minds – He is crowning us with lovingkindness and compassion – are we receiving this crown? Or, will we not sit still long enough to receive the gracious goodness of our Father and His Son? Are our minds elsewhere?

Receive the crown of lovingkindness and compassion in our Lord Jesus, and share the same with others today.