The crown of life
Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. Psalms 103:1-4
From the text, David has so many things in his mind that he wants to thank God for. But before he mentioned all the praiseworthiness of God, he prepared his heart. Hearts have to be stirred properly before we could offer God the praise He deserves. Our hearts are inclined to getting distracted and at times prone to get distant from God. David manifested an awareness of his tendency to not be in tune with God so he did what we must do, prepare his heart before he offers his praise to God. A lifeless praise is an insult to God who is supposed to be in a place of honor and praise. David with his heart engaged to praise started to cite all the things he wants to thank God for. Just like David, we too should be grateful for the forgiveness of sins. God’s grace has been provided through Christ’s death on the cross so that each one that receives Him and repent of their sins will receive forgiveness and life eternal. This is God’s promise to those that placed their trust in Him. God redeemed us from the punishment of sin. His grace, love and tender mercies are what will enable us to not stumble in life waiting for His promise of eternal life. The same tender mercies will carry us through the challenges we are dealing with in life. It is by His love and tender mercies continually being poured out in our lives that will help us be strong as we face temptations and trials. As David said, “He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies,” we too are crowned with the love of Christ and His tender mercies provided us to have a right relationship with God. The challenge for us is not to forget the blessings we receive from Him and offer to Him our praise. The best expression of our praise to God is on how we live our lives trusting God that His love and tender mercies are always upon us. God blessed us with a crown of love and tender mercies so we could be a blessing to others. Always draw strength upon Him. He is the One that crowned you, no one else. He gave it to you so do not take it for granted by living your life as a pauper re-living again your old life. Instead, wear it and receive the blessings from His life so you could honor Him and others will praise Him. “And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor” (1 Peter 5:4).
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
