By Ben Van Arragon
Read: Psalm 103
“Great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him.” (v. 11)
My favorite Christmas movie is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It’s a film about a man who momentarily forgets all his blessings. A series of setbacks and losses convince him that the world is unfair. If the world is ultimately unfair, then maybe life isn’t worth living. When life goes bad, it’s easy to forget that the world started out good, and that it will be good again.
Psalm 103 is an invitation to remember that life with God is a wonderful life. The psalm lists the benefits of life with God—but they aren’t everyday benefits like food, shelter, family, friends, and meaningful work. The benefits the psalm lists are more abstract, even fantastical. According to Psalm 103, God forgives all your iniquity, heals your diseases, renews your youth like the eagle’s, redeems your life from the pit, works justice and righteousness for all the oppressed.
The author of the psalm is not saying that God doesn’t care about the everyday blessings. It’s just that God is capable of so much more. In love, God promises to provide his people the basic necessities of life, but in the end, God also promises to make all of life right.
During the season of Advent, we bless God for all the ways he makes life wonderful right now. At the same time, we set our sights on the even greater blessings still to come. There are no limits to the good things God intends for those he loves.
As you pray, take time to name God’s many blessings—past, present, and future.
—————
Ben Van Arragon is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. After 20 years of congregational ministry, he now serves his denomination as a pastor wellbeing consultant in Grand Rapids.
Read: Psalm 103
“Great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him.” (v. 11)
My favorite Christmas movie is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It’s a film about a man who momentarily forgets all his blessings. A series of setbacks and losses convince him that the world is unfair. If the world is ultimately unfair, then maybe life isn’t worth living. When life goes bad, it’s easy to forget that the world started out good, and that it will be good again.
Psalm 103 is an invitation to remember that life with God is a wonderful life. The psalm lists the benefits of life with God—but they aren’t everyday benefits like food, shelter, family, friends, and meaningful work. The benefits the psalm lists are more abstract, even fantastical. According to Psalm 103, God forgives all your iniquity, heals your diseases, renews your youth like the eagle’s, redeems your life from the pit, works justice and righteousness for all the oppressed.
The author of the psalm is not saying that God doesn’t care about the everyday blessings. It’s just that God is capable of so much more. In love, God promises to provide his people the basic necessities of life, but in the end, God also promises to make all of life right.
During the season of Advent, we bless God for all the ways he makes life wonderful right now. At the same time, we set our sights on the even greater blessings still to come. There are no limits to the good things God intends for those he loves.
As you pray, take time to name God’s many blessings—past, present, and future.
—————
Ben Van Arragon is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. After 20 years of congregational ministry, he now serves his denomination as a pastor wellbeing consultant in Grand Rapids.
