Psalm 103

Bible Passage: Psalms 103 

Bless the Lord, O my soul…
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

–  Psalms 103:1,4-5.

This passage speaks about the Lord’s mercy and grace ― something we are unworthy of since the fall of man. Yet the above verses reminded me about the death of my Lord Jesus Christ, as well as the shedding of His blood that reveals God’s grace upon mankind. I am in awe of His tender mercies, His loving kindness towards repenting sinners, and His gift of redemption to save us from guilt and eternal shame.

God’s grace is tender yet powerful, because it forever changes life and shapes one’s destiny. Ever since I came to know the Truth and my Lord Jesus Christ, some things in my life has changed. It all started with the renewing of my mind, my mentality, and my perspective. I have also witnessed, in my profession, how some of my clients are gradually transformed when they received the Gospel through religious counseling. And then, the above verses appeared to me when I read the Bible today.

Words like lovingkindness, tender mercies, satisfaction, and renewal all plays a part in the process of transformation. From these verses, I see a life transforming by the grace of God.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

–  Psalms 103:8-10.

… And the Lord is Jesus Christ, a humble servant, a healer to the wounded, an oasis to the thirsty, a shelter for the homeless, a refuge to the sick and needy, and a prime example of a Christian. These are Christlike qualities that we seek to possess as Christians and to be honest, this is a real challenge for me. The challenge of being able to forgive others who have wronged us, and to be gracious even when others are not worthy of our mercy. I am still learning nonetheless, and Christ is my coach in this very difficult journey.

As for men, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children…

–  Psalms 103:15-17.

Why do we keep holding on to grudges?

How long should we bear our emotional baggages?

Till the end of our lives?

What happens after that?

And when we turn to dust, will we still remember the hurt others have done to us?

Or will we regret that we have not reconciled our present with our past while we still live?

Life is as short as the grass we see in the fields.

We have our glorious days in the sunshine while we are still breathing.

When the grass have lived their days in the season, they die and so do we.

And the wind will take them away and they will all be forgotten, just like how we turn to dust and exist no more.

The world will pass away, our problems will not last forever, our sorrows will fade, our sufferings will one day cease. All these are trivial compared to the love and mercy of God.

As long as Christ is in us, His grace will be upon us from generation to generation.

Let’s not live our lives dwelling in bitterness and hatred, but to rejoice and learn to forgive.