“As the heavens tower over the earth,
so God's mercy towers over those
who fear Him.”
Our psalmist sings the praises of a
divine and loving God, who surrounds
us with compassion, pardons our sins,
heals our ills.
God will deliver us as He delivered the
Israelites from their affliction at the hands
of the Egyptians. (Exodus 3:7-8)
“God delivers your life from the pit,
surrounds you with love and compassion.”
God nurses no lasting anger, He has not
dealt with us as our sins deserve.
But God demands something of us
in return – that we cleanse ourselves
from evil desires and avoid sin.
St Paul warns us, “Whoever thinks
he is standing secure should take care
not to fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)
Jesus says it more powerfully in today's
Gospel, “If you do not repent, you will
all perish.” (Luke 13:5)
The Lord’s patience with us is a gift –
“Merciful and gracious is the Lord,
slow to anger, abounding in kindness.”
Our duty is to remain faithful to the Lord,
as His children, and to treat His anointed ones
with love and compassion, as He would do.
We are to be merciful to our enemies by
imitating Jesus. Who can love their enemies,
and do good to them? It will be difficult if
we allow our earthly nature to rule us.
Just as God has not dealt with us as our
sins merit, so must we have compassion
on those we may be inclined to condemn.
We cannot imitate God without a share
in Christ’s divinity, by allowing the Holy
Spirit within us to guide us. Only then
will we have the kind of compassion the
Psalm speaks about.
And as our psalmist says, God’s love will
tower over us if we are his faithful.
If we love the Lord, it will show in our hearts,
and the old things will then pass away.
What could be a better lesson for our
Lenten journey.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist assures us that God in His compassion will redeem our life
from the 'pit.' But we must do our part and show repentance. Describe how
during Lent you are becoming kinder and more merciful to your family and
your neighbors.
2. The Psalm inspires us to bless the Lord and 'forget not all His benefits.'
Speak of your gratitude for the gifts you have received from God.
1. Our psalmist assures us that God in His compassion will redeem our life
from the 'pit.' But we must do our part and show repentance. Describe how
during Lent you are becoming kinder and more merciful to your family and
your neighbors.
2. The Psalm inspires us to bless the Lord and 'forget not all His benefits.'
Speak of your gratitude for the gifts you have received from God.
This beautiful psalm of David is a Hymn of Praise to God. This psalm does not focus on personal difficulties, harassment by enemies, personal guilt, or the need for forgiveness. Rather, it teaches us here to sing a hymn of admiring gratitude to God.
ReplyDeleteIn the stresses of daily life, it's important to take a break and think about all the benefits of belonging to Christ—all the blessings and the sometimes-forgotten enrichment that God provides for his children.
The benefits God allows us are numerous. Our task is to remember and to bless the source, to fill our days with gratitude and praise, to turn our eyes away from the struggles of this life, and to remember whose we are.
Then we can join King David's song and bless the Lord with all that is within us—with voice and soul and heart, and with lives that mirror God's personality and carry his holy name.
Our Psalmist tells us about God’s love for us. God’s care for us is eternal.
ReplyDeleteThe Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will never harbor his anger forever.
He has wiped our record clean. He forgives and forgets our past sins.
He heals our illness and redeems us from the pit. That’s why David gives thanks and praises His merciful gracious deeds for human beings.
I should count all my blessings bestowed on me. Instead, I used to think of God as judge and lawgiver who frightens us because I was dwelling on my ugly past sins. Now, like David, my heart wants to show gratitude to the Lord.
Praise the Lord, all his works.
Knowing that God will deal with me compassionately I will repent, asking forgiveness of my sins. I know one thing for sure — God will run to me with open arms whenever I turn back to Him. I have been unfaithful to my God, but I am determined to become more loving, helpful to my husband, and kinder, more charitable to my neighbors. And I’ll be more patient talking and dealing with them as God deals with me graciously.
The psalmist reminds me of God’s overflowing mercy. I’m inspired to return to the Lord with a contrite heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning during Lent. I praise God’s mercy repeatedly. With his mercy and grace I am being transformed to be a better person. How grateful I am ! His love for me is unconditional and eternal.