1 My soul, praise the Lord!
Every part of me, praise his holy name!
2 My soul, praise the Lord
and never forget how kind he is!
3 He forgives all our sins
and heals all our sicknesses.
4 He saves us from the grave,
and he gives us love and compassion.
5 He gives us plenty of good things.
He makes us young again,
like an eagle that grows new feathers.
6 The Lord does what is fair.
He brings justice to all who have been hurt by others.
7 He taught his laws to Moses.c
He let Israeld see the powerful things he can do.
8 The Lord is kind and merciful.
He is patient and full of love.
9 He does not always criticize.
He does not stay angry with us forever.
10 We sinned against him,
but he didn’t give us the punishment we deserved.
11 His love for his followers is
as high above us as heaven is above the earth.
12 And he has taken our sins
as far away from us as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is as kind to his followers
as a father is to his children.
14 He knows all about us.
He knows we are made from dust.
15 He knows our lives are short,
that they are like grass.
He knows we are like a little wildflower that grows so quickly,
16 but when the hot wind blows, it dies.
Soon, you cannot even see where the flower was.
17 But the Lord has always loved his followers,
and he will continue to love them forever and ever!
He will be good to all their descendants,
18 to those who are faithful to his agreemente
and who remember to obey his commands.
_______________
“God has big hands because it said, ’He’s got the whole world in his hands.’” Kalen, 9
“God is like a never-ending story that you want to read again and again. When I hear about him, I want to know more. Although I can’t see him, I feel him. He is perfect and pure. I know he has felt pain and has suffered greatly to take away my sins.” Ashley, 10
“God is like the wind. You can’t see him, but you know he’s there because you can see what he does.” Ashley, 10
“God is cool, awesome, powerful, nice, big, huge, wonderful, loving, exciting, caring, giving and The Best!” Adrienne, 8
Psalm 103 is a great song that describes what God is like. Yes, the Psalms were written as songs. We can know what God is like by his actions. He does so many different things for us. But above all, he loves us, just like Adrienne said.
King David started this song by praising God with his whole being. God wants us to praise him with everything we’ve got. If you really love someone, you love with all your heart.
In this song, David remembers the Lord’s kindness: “He forgives all our sins.” David knew there could be no forgiveness unless God provided a sacrifice for his sins.
God promised David that his family and kingdom would continue forever (2 Samuel 7:12, 16). We have a good reason to praise God with our whole hearts. Jesus is the promise for which David hoped. From the human side, Jesus was related to David. Because of God’s promise, Jesus is sometimes called the Son of David (Matthew 9:27). He came and died on the cross for our sins so that we could live with him forever. David had the promise that his greater son would rule forever, but we have the reality (2 Samuel 7:12-13 & Hebrews 12:2).
The kingdom of David’s greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ, will continue to grow until everything comes under the power of his love and justice. Adrienne is right when she says God is “The Best!”
God wants us to see things as he does. The Psalm says our life is short. It’s like grass or a flower. It grows for a short time, and then it’s gone. Even if you live to be 100 years old, what is that compared to forever? Even though people are born and die, God’s love continues for those who respect him in every generation. Do you want your life to bless other people both during and after your life on Earth? Discover how to help make God’s kingdom grow.
Every Christian is an ambassador and royal priest (Ephesians 6:19-21 & 1 Peter 2:9). An ambassador is someone who represents a government or kingdom in a foreign land. Because all Christians are citizens of heaven, they represent God’s kingdom on Earth. A priest represents people to God. God has made all Christians priests. We can talk to God and praise him for his mercy, grace and love.
Think About This: God is always about the business of expanding his kingdom of life and love. He is looking for Christians who will represent him as royal ambassadors and priests.
Memorize This Truth: “He knows our lives are short, that they are like grass. He knows we are like a little wildflower that grows so quickly, but when the hot wind blows, it dies. Soon, you cannot even see where the flower was” (Psalm 103: 15-16).
Español
