This is one of the Psalms attributed to David. It has been my favorite Psalm for a long time now, because of its beauty, but more importantly, because it is a powerful example of the highest form of prayer, that is, thanksgiving and praise. It is also a revelation of the true nature of God with us. The tone of this Psalm is one of joyful gratitude. It lifts the mind and the heart, up and out of the narrow cell of the self. Its tone is like that of the rising notes of a songbird singing in the dawn on a bright Spring morning.
“Bless the Lord, my soul;/ all my being, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord my soul; and do not forget all his gifts” (vs: 1-2). Who is this generous ‘Lord’ and what are his gifts to us that the Psalmist, David, recognizes from his own human experiences? This Lord is the One, “Who pardons all your sins,/ and heals all your ills. Who redeems your life from the pit,/ and crowns you with mercy and compassion,/ Who fills your days with good things, so your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (vs. 3-5). Who knows this generosity of forgiveness better than David who experienced this profound mystery personally, being lifted, as he was, from the ‘grave’ of his mortal sins of adultery and murder, and blessed with the opportunity for new life.
What else does David recognize from his experiences with God? He has come to know that all of God’s deeds are righteous in comparison to those of man; that his justice is always on the side of the oppressed; that God is, in His word and His deeds, merciful. David has personally been overwhelmed by God’s mercy. He had come to know that God’s anger, though righteous, does not last, is not vengeful. Even more importantly, David has experienced the fact that God does not “deal with us as our sins merit, nor requite us as our wrongs deserve” (vs 6-10).
David, in the throws of his joy, attests to the fact that God’s generosity and mercy is beyond our understanding, “For as the heavens tower over the earth,/ so his mercy towers over those who fear him,/ As far as the east is from the west,/ so far has he removed our sins from us” (v. 11-12). God’s compassion is a source of wonder, a matter of awe to David, and to us, “For he (God) knows how we are formed,/ remembers that we are dust”,/ that, like the grass, or the flowers in the field, we are finite, here today and gone tomorrow. “But the Lord’s mercy is from age to age, toward those who fear him” (vs. 14-17). What is this “fear” then? The Hebrew phrase ‘Yirat Adonai’ is translated into English as ‘fear’. But the phrase has a far richer meaning than that of a fearful dread. In its fullest sense, it signifies a deep reverence, respect, or awe toward the Lord. It is the humble recognition that God is God and I am not. David knew this Yirat Adonai, this ‘fear of the Lord,’ in every fiber of his being, in his heart, his mind, and his soul. And this is the source of his joy here in this Psalm.
It is this recognition of God’s infinite mercy, of God’s unconditional love for us, that is the source of our joy, too. God’s love is not destroyed, even by our most impish and arrogant rebellions from God. We can believe that when we turn to God in our brokenness, in true humility and sorrow, just as David did, God’s response will be instantaneous, taking the form of forgiveness, grace, and healing. We can trust this because God’s love for us is intimate, real, and true. He knows our innermost being, our struggles, and our desires for healing. When God forgives, God also forgets, yes, even the greatest of our sins. It is this knowledge that is the reason for hope and the cause of our joy. Thanks be to God. “Bless the Lord, my soul.”
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