Bless the Lord...Bless his holy Name!

Psalms 103:1-19

1 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 forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Who am I that the Lord of Glory, the God of the Universe would send his son to die in my stead so that my life could be redeemed from certain destruction through his loving kindness and tender mercy? He forgave all my iniquities (sin)! It is of a surety that I must bless his HOLY NAME!

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

I thank God that he saw that I was oppressed in sin and executed righteous judgment for my soul. He was merciful to me! I am so very thankful that he was slow to anger with me, had mercy on me and if he had dealt with me after the wrong that I had done to him (sin) I would be lost today! It is only through his great mercy, grace and love that I am saved today.

11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

The sins that I had committed, God, in his great mercy removed them as far as the East is From the West....never to be remembered again. But I must remember his mercy is everlasting to everlasting ..."upon them that fear him." If I ever lose my Godly fear and want to do things 'my way again', his mercy will cease for me. For if I read verse 18.....

18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.


Vs 17 indicates '...the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him..." and continues w/ vs 18 to say, "To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. " This is the qualifier! That I must fear him and keep his commandments. How do I keep his commandments...through obedience to what the 'Word of God' teaches and instructs me in every area of my life. Jesus said in John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

I thank my heavenly father that he gave me the promise that he would give me grace (the unmerited favor and power of God), strength, wisdom and even at times, in my weakest hour (humanly) fight my battles for me so I may have continuous real victory over sin and Satan!

Finally..

Phil 4:8-13

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Amen! Bless his HOLY Name!