Psalms 103:4
If you want to know what God is like towards those
that fear him then read Psalms 103. Jesus
is merciful and gracious. Jesus has lovingkindness and tender mercies. How
great is the mercy of God! The mercies of the Lord are new every morning.
Psalms 103:4, “Who redemeeth thy life from
destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;” The
word redemption is a great doctrinal word in the Bible. Sin destroys. The wages of sin is death. Yet
Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave. Romans 5:7-8, “For scarcely
for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would
even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners Christ died for us.” To be
redeemed means to be freed from the slavery of sin. What could be worse than to
remain a slave to sin and die in your sins and go to hell? It would be just to
go to hell if your sins are not forgiven but there is redemption in Jesus
Christ from destruction.
Notice that the last part of Psalms 103:4 says,
“Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies.” This is what you
can expect from God in this life as a Christian. Yes, life has its challenges,
its hills and valleys, its sufferings, sorrows, temptations, and disappointments,
but God crowns the believer with lovingkindness and tender mercies. No matter
what happens to you in life that could be considered negative or horrible, you
should know that as you walk with Jesus and abide in him he will crown you with
lovingkindness and tender mercies. If you ever think otherwise, then you are
blind to the truth. Even in the valleys when we are not on the mountain top and
our life is full of woe and sorrow and pain we are still crowned with the
loving kindness and tender mercies of the LORD.
God is love. It should be no surprise that there
is then lovingkindness and tender mercies especially for those who have entered
into his love by faith in Christ.
Psalms 103:8 says, “The Lord is merciful and
gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”
The Lord is merciful and gracious. This is an Old
Testament verse. That is why this verse is so amazing. In these verses God is
building up to how great is his forgiveness for our sins.
It is important to remember that the Lord is slow
to anger. This means that he is patient with us in our sins. As Christians
sometimes we are quick to get angry at sinners and their sins but we should be
patient with others when they sin and slow to anger because the Lord is.
Twice in this verse mercy is mentioned. Mercy is
God not giving us what we deserve. God is very merciful. That is why Psalms 103:10-12 says, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us
according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so
great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the
west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”
He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor
rewarded us according to our iniquities. This verse from the Bible makes a good
definition of mercy. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us
according to our iniquities. God loves judgment. And the judgment is coming,
but God is merciful and he has given man time and the opportunity to repent of
sin.
He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor
rewarded us according to our iniquities. God’s response to man sinning was to
send his only begotten son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for man’s sins.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so
great is his mercy toward them that fear him. “As far as the east is from the
west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” When we are forgiven
of our sins, God does not remember them anymore. The sins are wiped away, we
are washed clean in the blood of the Lamb.
103:17, “But the mercy of the LORD is from
everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto
children’s children;” God is the eternally existent one, and his mercy is from
everlasting to everlasting. His mercy lasts forever for those who are saved. Being
merciful is part of God’s innate character.
In this Psalm grace, mercy, and lovingkindness are
mentioned. Three great truths about God. God is gracious. God is merciful. God
has lovingkindness to give to us. It is
astounding how blind some people are to the truth about who God is and what God
is like. If they would just read Psalm 103 and believe it, then people would
have faith and not blame God for things that happen to them or think God unkind
or unfair.
Grace, mercy, and lovingkindness. “As far as the
east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” John
3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. This is
grace, mercy, and lovingkindness from God.
You can experience the grace, mercy, and
lovingkindness of God by trusting in him and his word. Turn from your sins to
Jesus and Jesus will wipe away your sins. Amen
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Copyright;
2022 by Bruce Creech
All Rights Reserved