By Mark Grace, CCCNZ Ambassador
Na Rawiri. Whakapaingia a Ihowa, e toku wairua; e nga mea katoa i roto i ahau, whakapaingia tona ingoa tapu.
Lo‘u agaga e, ia e faamanū atu ia Ieova, o mea uma foi o i totonu ia te au ia faamanū i lona suafa paia.
Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Psalm 103:1
Psalm 103:1 is the song of a life that has encountered God in loss, in grief, in joy, in pain and in pleasure. It is the expression of a life that has felt God’s provision and the absence of provision and has come to praise him.
David becomes King of Israel. David commits adultery with Bathsheba.
David conquers Jerusalem. He arranges the murder of Bathsheba’s husband.
God makes a covenant with David. David's son Amnon commits rape and incest and is murdered by another of David’s sons.
David defeats the Philistines. His son Absalom leads a rebellion against him.
God calls David a man after his own heart. His beloved son Absalom is murdered.
How is it that David’s life is saturated with praise to God? How is it that someone who has known his own sin so deeply, who has experienced such tragedy and betrayal and loss, is a person of praise?
David feeds his soul by reminding himself of God’s perfect character and his mighty works.
David says to his soul:
Remember the Lord has forgiven all your sins.
Remember the Lord has redeemed your life from the pit.
Remember the Lord has crowned you with love and compassion.
Remember the Lord has given you good gifts.
Remember the Lord works righteousness and justice for the oppressed.
Society invites us to take comfort in who we are and what we’ve achieved. This psalm invites us to remember who God is and what he has achieved. It invites us to comfort our souls with the goodness and greatness of God.
