Daily Devotion

As I wrote in yesterday’s devotion, I thought I would share, this week, a few verses and passages that have given me pause during these unprecedented times.

Today I am reminded of Psalm 103. The words of this psalm have typically come to me in moments when I was feeling a formidable amount of self-doubt.  With less opportunity to interact with people, I have repeatedly felt that I just wasn’t doing anything to the best of my abilities. I had less energy, felt less joy, and felt as though my efforts were coming up woefully short in all areas of life. In those moments I would become self-critical and, despite knowing God’s promise is secure, I would often wander into portions of my own heart that would assure me I am just not meeting God’s expectations.

This Psalm has been a gift to me in those times. A reminder about God’s character that gives me confidence and an assurance of God’s love.

Psalm 103 Of David.

¹ Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶ The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.

⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸ The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Compassionate and gracious. In those times of self-doubt and waning trust or confidence in God’s assurances, this psalm speaks to me.  When reflecting on the character of God revealed in these verses, I feel a bit like Luther who wrote, “If I examine myself I find enough unholiness to shock me. But when I look at Christ in me I find that I am altogether holy.” A popular rephrasing of this quote goes something like this, "When I look at myself, I don't see how I can be saved. When I look at Christ, I don't see how I can be lost."

Thanks be to God.