Psalm 103

Just a quick post today...please pray for our mission team as we head to the Czech Republic!

One awesome Scripture passage for finding "God as he really is" is Psalm 103. In fact, I considered "Psalm103Blog" as a name for this blog, among many, many other options. (Eventually I did what I do at restaurants, got sick of deciding and just picked something simple.)

The first eight verses especially give some very simple, straight-up declarative statements about God. It's handy for those mornings when you're stumbling around without coffee and need some grounding (pun!), or might not have the needed hour to delve into an in-depth Bible story and find God there. Or maybe when pain or grief are setting in, dulling your mind, and you just need something simple to hold onto.

Psalm 103 offers nice, refreshing adjectives about God. They're great for that "repeating out loud" habit.

Just to expand on Tuesday's post, in case it wasn't clear: the idea behind speaking Scripture aloud is not a formula to manipulate God. It's not to get something we want for ourselves. It's not to influence the world around us. Those are pagan ideas.

We speak Scripture aloud to change our own hearts first and foremost, to align our beliefs with what is true. We do it to know God. You'll be glad when that happens.

I doubt you'll have trouble finding something in Psalm 103:1-8 that encourages you where you are.


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.