The LORD Is Compassionate And
Gracious
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger,
abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he
harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the
heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions
from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so
the Lord has compassion on
those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he
remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:8-14
The
young father was at the end of his rope. “Ice cream! Ice cream!” his toddler
screamed. The meltdown in the middle of the crowded mall began drawing the
attention of shoppers nearby. “Fine, but we just need to do something for
mommy first, okay?” the father said. “Nooooo! Ice
cream!” And then she approached them: a small, well-dressed woman with shoes
that matched her handbag. “He’s having a big fit,” the father said. The woman
smiled and responded, “Actually, it looks like a big fit is having your little
boy. Don’t forget he’s so small. He needs you to be patient and stay close.”
The situation didn’t magically resolve itself, but it was just the kind of
pause the father and son needed in the moment.
Echoes
of the wise woman’s words are heard in Psalm 103. David writes of
our God who is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love”
(v. 8). He then continues by invoking the image of an earthly father who “has
compassion on his children,” and even more so “the Lord has compassion on those
who fear him” (v. 13). God our Father “knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust” (v. 14). He knows we’re small and fragile.
We
often fail and are overwhelmed by what this big world hands us. What an amazing
assurance to know of our Father’s patient, ever-present, abounding love.
When have you felt overwhelmed like a
little child? How do you believe God the Father responded to you in that
moment?
Thank You for being our patient, present Father who
remembers who and what we are.
Our Daily Bread – February 9, 2020