A Monthly Reflection

This month is a direct reflection regarding life application of the Scriptural text of Psalm 103.

It’s all about the heart.  What is our heart’s desire and how can it grow?  The text explains in various fashions that we have two views.  One is of G-d himself and His attributes such as grace, mercies, commander of the heavenly armies and much more.  While the other view is what He has done for us such as, forgiveness, healing, redemption, love, satisfaction, renewal, etc. (Wiersbe, Be Exultant). 

This should nudge us to see our incompleteness and our utter devoid of true self-reliance.  We can’t do X because we are supposed to – not designed to.  Our heart, our very existence is to praise the L-rd of Hosts (IVPBBC OT) and to share in the communion of the angels in worshipping what we were designed for – blessing and loving our Creator.  Only then will we truly be “at home” perfectly made for a perfect position as His children with Him.

And it did not start with us.  He started it.  He wants us even though He does not need us.  That is grace to me.  He could have anything He wants and yet He wants you – me, especially when we are like menstrual rags (Isaiah 64:6).  In turn, our lives need to be fully devoted to Him in total obedience.  We fail in this accord, but we need to try and try again.

It is yet grace that allows us to falter forward and surrender often.  In the Believer’s Bible Commentary on this text it mentions that His ways are learned by revelation and His acts are a matter of observation.  We learn more about Him by what He reveals to us through the Holy Spirit.  We learn his blessings by watching Him work.

We are to be imitators of Christ, as the Bible puts it in Ephesians 5:1-7.

We are to “become a little Christ”, as C.S. Lewis states in Mere Christianity.

We reflect Him because we are like Him (yet are not Him).

He deserves our praise, and we should yearn, crave, and devote ourselves to that desire – to that need.

And He is patient.  He waits.  He loves in the meantime.  He wants us to choose Him – to pursue Him.  I believe that King David in the Bible was a man after G-d’s own heart not only in the sense of the noun form of heart (David was like G-d in many ways) but also the verb form.  David chased G-d’s heart.  He wanted to be with Him.  He needed G-d in His life just like we need Him too.

So the application to me for this Psalm are:

1. Remember who G-d is to us, to me.
2. Remember what He has done and is doing for me.
3. Honor Him with my heart, soul, mind, and strength – at least ask Him for help in trying this more. 
4. Praise and give thanksgiving more often.
5. Internally listen and obey the Holy Spirit more.
6. Remember I can’t earn Him or His blessings – He has sacrificed for me!
7. He is my strength – He is my song of deliverance.
8. Ask the L-rd to reveal Himself and His acts and ways more so that I can grow to love Him more and marvel in who He is and what He does.

It is a good reminder – a daily one – that we are in His hands for His purpose and for His glory.  We live to serve Him.  We live to love Him.  And it feels so good.  Nothing “fits” like Jesus.

And remember:

We love because He first loved us….

1 John 4:19 (ESV)