Psalm 103

You know those days when it's really easy  to praise God? 

Those days when the weather is beautiful, it's payday, and you got to wake up slowly to the smell of coffee and bacon. 

As far as your concerned, life is really good. 

And then there are the not-so-good days. 

You wake up late for an appointment, get drenched in the rain while running to your car, and five minutes down the road you realize you left your coffee on the counter while rushing out the door. 

Yeah, I've been there. Pretty sure we all have been. 

There are factors we face daily that carry the potential to alter our entire attitude. Whether it's an alarm clock not going off, a traffic jam, or the weather- these small, unpredictable moments have the ability to distract us from a God-exalting mentality. 

We are faced with two choices on how to react to the "change in our day"- to bless or curse. 

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we should put on a fake smile and say, "I love traffic!" It would be of no benefit to us to lie to ourselves and to confront these situations with a fake approach. 

But rather it is in these temporary moments we can't control where we can rest in eternal truth God offers for our lives. 

Our days are built on so much more than what happens during them. 

             "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, 

                   who forgives all your iniquity, 

      who heals all your diseases, 

                   who redeems your life from the pit, 

      who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 

                   who satisfies you with good 

      so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." 

                                  vs. 2-5

Why do we have a reason to praise? We have a future in Christ! God didn't just meet the bare minimum in saving us by not condemning us to hell, but He rather exceeded in saving us. He has adopted us into His family. We are redeemed, forgiven, healed, and loved! Do we deserve any of it? Absolutely not. Yet we stand renewed in Jesus Christ "crowned with steadfast love and mercy".

              "The LORD works righteousness and

            justice for all who are oppressed. 

              He made known his ways to Moses, 

      His acts to the people of Israel. 

                   The LORD is merciful and gracious, 

      slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 

                   He will not always chide, 

      nor will he keep his anger forever. 

                He does not deal with us according to our sins, 

      nor repay us according to our iniquities. 

                For as high as the heavens are above the earth, 

      so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear him; 

                as far as the east is from the west, 

      so far does He remove our transgressions from us. 

                 As a father shows compassion to his children, 

      so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him."

                                       vs. 7-13

When I was younger, I would occasionally picture God in the clouds looking down on me in anger when seeing I had messed up again. But here in these verses, we see the exact opposite. Read through those verses again- can you even begin to fathom such a love like His? 

"He does not deal with us according to our sins, 

      nor repay us according to our iniquities."

Thank The Lord life isn't fair. If it was, we would be living an empty life with no hope, only to suffer in hell for eternity. 

             "For He knows our frame; 

      He remembers that we are dust. 

                  As for man, His days are like grass; 

      He flourishes like a flower of the field; 

                   for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, 

      and its place knows it no more. 

                   But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, 

      and his righteousness to children’s children, 

                   to those who keep His covenant and remember to do his commandments. 

                  The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, 

      and His kingdom rules over all. 

                   Bless the LORD, O you His angels, 

      you mighty ones who do His word, 

      obeying the voice of his word! 

                   Bless the LORD, all His hosts, 

      His ministers, who do His will! 

                   Bless the LORD, all His works, 

      in all places of his dominion. 

                  Bless the LORD, O my soul! 

                          vs. 14-22

Not only do we serve a God who exceeds in redemption, and loves us unfathomably, but He is a great and mighty ruler. Where man is finite, God is infinite. Rulers on this earth will fade like grass on a field, but God is everlasting. He is forever able to sustain us and intercede for us.

How has your day been going so far? Did you wake up slowly to the smell of coffee and bacon? Or did you get rained on and forget your coffee at home? As a redeemed child of God, who is unfathomably loved and cared for, no matter the circumstances, may you be reminded of His goodness and your identity in Him. Let us forfeit the temptation to curse, and live our days with a rejoiceful heart, overwhelmed at the goodness God offers us. 

Let there never be a day that we cease praising- we are blood-bought children of God!