Psalm 103:11-14 "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."
Let's read these four verses and then go back to verse 1: "Bless the LORD,
O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD,
O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." It is an impossibility to
name ALL His benefits toward us. I love that old hymn, "Count your many
blessings, name them one by one." The problem is that my finite mind
cannot bring to remembrance all the blessings from an infinite God. It isn't
really a problem as long as I try to maintain a heart of gratitude. Look at
today's verses again. Look up into the sky. They tell me that there is no end
to it. Read verse 11. That's how great God's mercy is toward us. Verse 12
describes a distance that goes to infinity in showing us how far God has
removed our transgressions. Why did He use East/West instead of North/South? If
you begin traveling in a Northern direction, there is a place where North and
South meet and you then begin traveling in a Southward direction. But if you
begin traveling in an eastward direction, there is never a place where you then
begin moving in a westward direction. The two never meet as do North and South.
That's how far God has removed my transgressions from me. "Bless the LORD,
O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD,
O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."
Verses 13 gives us an earthly example of God's heavenly love. God uses the love
of parents for their children as illustrations of His love for us. "Like
as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him."
And then in Isaiah 49:15, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she
should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet
will I not forget thee." He is saying that it is easier for parents to
stop loving their children than it is for Him to stop loving His children. The
word, "pitieth," carries the meaning of hands-on love. He never casts
us away and He never stops loving us. Read Romans, chapter 8. And then we
read verse 14, "For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are
dust." We sometimes expect ourselves to be perfect when in reality, we
aren't. I think most people will agree with me that it is harder to forgive
ourselves than it is to forgive others. We are our own greatest critics; yet
God says, "I know you better than you know yourself and I love you
more than you love yourself." Now let's read verse 1 - one more time:
"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy
name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."
When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.