Week 35: God's Tenderness and Compassion

Here's our Bible reading for the week of August 28th through September 3rd:

* Sunday (Epistles): 2 Timothy 1-2
* Monday (Law): Numbers 9-12
* Tuesday (History): 1 Chronicles 15-19
* Wednesday (Psalms): Psalms 102-104
* Thursday (Poetry): Proverbs 20-21
* Friday (Prophecy): Hosea 8-14
* Saturday (Gospels): John 10-12

Scripture
Psalm 103:10-14:
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.

Observation
In this psalm of praise, King David extols the Lord for his mercy and compassion. Although we deserve to be treated harshly because of our many sins, God, says David, treats us tenderly. Even though we fail, God's love toward us is unfailing. His forgiveness is complete and absolute. God is tender and compassionate toward us...remembering that we are frail creatures.

Application
The most powerful motivating force in the universe is not guilt; it is grace. The message in this passage of Scripture is that when we fail, we can always turn back to God and know that he receives us back into his loving embrace. He knows us better than we know ourselves...and he loves us unconditionally.

We need to remember that our relationship with God is not based on how well we do, but on how much God loves us. God wants us to keep turning back to him when we stray. He welcomes us with open arms. If you feel you don't deserve God's grace, you are probably in the best place to receive God's grace!

Prayer
O Lord, thank you for not punishing us as we deserve. Thank you for lavishing us with a love that is higher than the heavens above the earth. Thank you for removing our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Thank you for being tender and compassionate toward us, as a father is to his children. Thank you most of all for Jesus, whose life, death, and resurrection have sealed our hope and secured for us an eternal inheritance with you in glory. Amen.

Have a great week!

Faithfully,
Chuck