It's a real good thing

I read Psalm 103 this morning, and it reminded me of the old Newsboys song that says, "When we don't get what we deserve, it's a real good thing, a real good thing. When we get what we don't deserve, it's a real good thing, real good thing."

I always think of salvation as the thing that we get that we don't deserve. And in my very human mind, I think that if I gave my life to save humanity, I'd want to stop there--do the saving, get the glory, and what more could humanity expect from me? Psalm 103 reminded me that God's love does not stop at the cross (although what a magnificent place to stop), but that he continues to show us his love in the small, everyday things in our lives, as well as in the huge life events during which we're very aware of our need for him.

So, here are some Psalm 103 gems about His love:

4-[Praise the Lord...] who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5-who satisfies your desires with good things.
8-The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
10-He does not treat us as our sins deserve.
11-For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.
17-But from everlasting to everlasting, the Lord's love is with hose who fear him.

Verses 5 and 15-16 also admonished and encouraged me for a different reason.
5-[Praise the Lord...] who satisfies your desires with good things...
15-As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16-Ths wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

It seemed to me such a relief that I don't have to waste my time on this earth satisfying my desires. Obviously, I'll be tempted to do this, but what a good reminder that God has our best interest in mind even more than we do. And how humbling that our place on earth will remember us no more when we are gone and that what we do on earth is only significant if it has eternal implications.

Praise God for teaching us what we need to learn and for lovingly reminding us of things that we should already know.