Listen here.
Welcome to Devotions for Worship where we meditate on the
appointed Scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday. Thank you for being with
me today.
I am Pastor Eric Tritten from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in
Hudson, OH.
This coming Sunday is the 15 Sunday after Pentecost. So far
this week we’ve heard Jesus urging us to forgive, not just seven times but
seventy-seven time, when someone sins against us. We’ve also heard about how
Joseph forgave his brothers even after all the terrible things they did to him.
Today we will read the first twelve verses of Psalm 103. Notice how it, too,
speaks of God’s forgiveness and provides us with an opportunity to meditate on
God’s goodness, mercy, and forgiveness.
The Reading: Psalm 103:1-12– I will be reading from the
English Standard Version translation.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless
his holy name!
2 Bless
the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
3 who
forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who
redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who
satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD
works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made
known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD
is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will
not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does
not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our
iniquities.
11 For as
high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward
those who fear him;
12 as far
as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
(Ps. 103:1-12 ESV)
Read again, slowly
Comments
Do you see how this psalm leads us into meditation? It
repeatedly goes over things that we love about God and speaks gratefully of his
mercy and actions on his people’s behalves. It also speaks in a way that moves
us to join with the psalmist … his words become our words … his meditation guides
us to consider, to ponder, to have these wonderful thoughts rattle around in
our brains.
This is such a beautiful expression of our thankful awe and
sense of loving wonder at how God has treated us. What a merciful blessing it
is that God does not deal with us according to our sins, but removes our sins
from us as far as the east is from the west.
All of this is now ours through faith in Jesus. He was the
one that God promised would accomplish these things. The Psalmist looked ahead
in faith trusting that God would fulfill his promise. We look back and see it
fulfilled at the cross and empty tomb. The kingdom of God has come and we bless
our Lord for all he does for us.
Prayers
O Lord, you are indeed blessed. O that we could speak of
your grace, your mercy, your kindness and goodness, and even your very name
with such eloquence! You show your grace most clearly in the forgiveness and
salvation you won for us through Jesus’ death and resurrection. He takes our
sins from us and buries them in his tomb – they truly are so far from us that
they are as far as the east is from the west. You have redeemed our lives and
crowned us with love and mercy. You have satisfied us with good. Help us to
live as your people showing all who are around us what kind of God we have and
displaying the glorious salvation you have given us so that they may hear your
name and they too may know your grace and come to worship you. Amen.
Thank you so much for using Devotions for Worship, I pray
that our time together has blessed you and given you something to meditate on –
some reminder of God’s grace to rattle around in your brain – for the rest of
the day.
One of the things we can do to help us meditate on God’s
word is to memorize it. Psalm 119:11.
Memory Verse: Matthew 18:21-22 - Then Peter came up and said
to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive
him? As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do
not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matt. 18:21-22 ESV)
Would you do me a favor? If you got something out of this
devotional time, would you like and/or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or
wherever you do social media? That would help me get the word out, and
hopefully help these devotions be a blessing to others.
God bless you!
Comments