Psalm 103:8-12

 

Psalm 103:8-12 - "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."

Where do I even begin here? My heart is still overflowing from last week's post. It's a struggle, but I am still working on actively choosing to have an attitude of thankfulness, joy, and worship. So far, it has drastically changed my outlook on work. I'm not anxious about coming in; I already know my battle has been won for me. (Thanks, God!)

Psalm 103 starts out beautifully for me. Bless the Lord, oh my soul! My prayer is to always be in such a state that my inner most being blesses my heavenly Father. And, this chapter dives deep into all the reasons I should be, just in case I've forgotten. (Thanks, David.)

Verses 8-10 specifically remind me of His goodness. They serve as a model of how I should be at work. In the same way God is compassionate and gracious towards me, I should imitate that in the counseling office. No matter how many times I am stood up by a client, I should be slow to anger and abounding in love for these hurting people. He does not treat me the way I deserve, nor should I treat my clients how they sometimes deserve. My calling is to be an example of Jesus' love for us to those who may never see it anywhere else. I can do that by following God's perfect example. 

As I'm writing this, my marriage keeps coming to mind. Although my work is important to me, my husband is even more important to me. I frequently fall short of showing him just how much I love him. I am not always gracious or slow to anger. I struggle with harboring my anger, but I can at least say I don't harbor it forever... so that's a step in the right direction! I don't treat him how he deserves (and, if we're being honest, there are days when I treat him much worse). However, he gives me grace and a multitude of chances to try again. I am so thankful for a husband who emulates the love of God towards me. He serves not only as a model, but a wonderful leader and role model for me. My goal for our marriage is to treat him with the grace He deserves, the grace God gives me in Psalm 103. I want our marriage to bless the Lord. 

Thank you, God, for Your grace and love. (And, for my amazing husband!)