Psalm 103 Memory Challenge: Oh, How He Loves Us!

I hope you have been loving meditating this week on the precious promises of Psalm 103:3-4 as much as I have! There is so much packed into these two verses! Today let’s reflect on God’s goodness expressed in Psalm 103:4. We have much to praise the Lord!

Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. (Psalm 103:4)

How He Loves Us by David Crowder

Again, I LOVE that these are not a one-time blessing, but an ongoing blessing in our life! Certainly God has redeemed us! His work on the cross is finished. His death on the cross paid the penalty for our sins completely. We are redeemed—no longer headed for destruction. For us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior our sins are paid in full! We have escaped an eternity in Hell, and will one day live forever in Heaven with Jesus—all because we accepted His free gift by faith!



Who redeems your life from destruction

If Jesus redeeming work on the cross is complete, why doesn’t this verse say “Who redeemed your life from destruction”—past tense? I believe this is because God knows we still need His delivering work in other areas of our life. Consider these areas where  God continually redeems us from:

Destructive thoughts—Fear, worry, bitterness, etc The Holy Spirit brings to our mind those great and precious promises to help us take those destructive thoughts captive and fill our heart with hope once again.

Destructive habits—Overindulging in food or alcohol, gossiping, etc. God empowers us by His Spirit to overcome any strongholds in our life. More than just giving us the ability to overcome, He makes us more than conquerors!

Destructive influences—people who reject the Lord and the things of Him and would lead us to doubt God’s Word, as well as His goodness or faithfulness. This destructive influence could be through a friend, co-worker, radio or TV personality, author, magazine, website, etc  This reminds me of the Sunday school song lyrics “Oh, be careful little hearts who you trust.”

Destructive circumstances—serious injury due to car accident or any other kind of accident, serious health problems, etc. Sometimes we see we were inches from destruction, but God spared us from destructive circumstances.  I wonder though how many times God has spared me from some destruction when I had no idea that there was even a threat--whether He spared me from a car accident, restrained a person from me who was up to no good, or kept me from getting a serious health issue like cancer or diabetes.

Sometimes God chooses us to spare us because that is not His will for us, other times He allows us to go through a difficult time. But I can honestly say that even in the worst trials I’ve gone through, I am still blessed because it could have been worse. By His love, God redeems my life from destruction. I may go through the fire at times, but God will not let it consume me. (2 Cor. 4:8-9; Daniel 3:26- 27)

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies

God has already lavished (and still daily lavishes!) His love on us by:
Forgiving ALL our iniquities (Psalm 103:3)
Healing ALL our diseases (Psalm 103:3)
Redeeming our life from destruction (Psalm 103:3)

Not only does He continue to bless us in these ways, which is phenomenal, but He goes a step further and crowns us, or surrounds us, with lovingkindness and tender mercies.

When I think of God and a crown, I can’t help but think of the horrific crown of thorns Jesus wore as went to the cross on our behalf. Yet, God in His great love honors us with a crown. He graciously bestows on us lovingkindness and tender mercies. I think of the honor someone of royalty receives when they are crowned. It is a ceremony where they are highly esteemed and greatly honored. To receive a crown by another person would be a huge honor, but we are crowned over and over by the God of the universe who spoke the heavens and the earth into existence!

He does not crown us with perishable metal, but with His imperishable lovingkindness and tender mercies. This truth about God and His love towards us is quite contrary to the wrathful image many people have about God in the Old Testament. God is as loving in the Old Testament as He is in the New Testament. God is love, and He never changes. (1 John 4:8; Malachi 3:6)

Regarding Psalm 103:4 C.H. Spurgeon comments, “Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies. Our Lord does nothing by halves, he will not stay his hand till he has gone to the uttermost with his people. Cleansing, healing, redemption, are not enough, he must needs make them kings and crown them, and the crown must be far more precious than if it were made of corruptible things, such as silver and gold; it is studded with gems of grace and lined with the velvet of lovingkindness; it is decked with the jewels of mercy, but made soft for the head to wear by a lining of tenderness.”—Treasury of David by C.H. Spurgeon

I don’t know about you, but I am feeling like a princess! It feels amazing being a daughter of the King! (John 1:12)

Happy memorizing! God bless you much! 

Question for you: Which of the benefits in Psalm 103:3-4 have impacted you the most?
 

Psalm 103 Memory Challenge Quick Links 

For tips and helps in memorizing your verses this week, check out the previous posts for the Psalm 103 Memory Challenge:
Introduction to Memorizing Psalm 103
Week 1: Psalm 103:1-2    Remembering God’s Faithfulness.
Week 2 (Part 1): Psalm 103:3   There's No god Like Our God!
Week 2 (Part 2) Psalm 103:4   Oh, How He Loves Us!
Week 3 (Part 1) Psalm 103:5   Strength For The Weary
Week 3 (Part 2) Psalm 103:6   God Will Give You Justice!
Week 4 (Part 1) Psalm 103:7   God Makes Himself Known!
Week 4 (Part 2) Psalm 103:8   Mercy in Abundance!
Week 5: Psalm 103:9-10 Better Than I Deserve!
Week 6: Psalm 103:11-12   How High and Wide is God's Mercy For Us!
Week 7: Psalm 103:13-14  God's Loving Compassion For Us!
Week 8: Psalm 103:15-16 Soon and Very Soon, We are Going to See the King!
Week 9: Psalm 103:17-18 God's Mercy is from Everlasting to Everlasting!
Week 10: Psalm 103:19-20 God Rules Over All!
Week 11: Psalm 103:21-22 Bless the Lord! 
Week 12: My Plan for Keeping Psalm 103 Hidden In My Heart!
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Copyright © 2012 Brooke Espinoza.