Psalms  ◦   Chapter 103

1Praise the Lord, O my soul;
with all that is within me, praise his perfect character of love!

2Praise the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all he does to heal us:

3He forgives all our deviations from his design-law for life
and provides the remedy to our sin-sickness,

4delivering us from eternal death
and enveloping us in his love and tender mercies;

5he fills and adorns us with his goodness
and gives us new life — a rebirth — to soar free like an eagle.

6The Lord does what is right — restores his creation to harmony with his design,
healing those who are crushed by sin and selfishness.

7He made known his ways to Moses,
his methods to the people of Israel:

8The Lord is merciful and gracious;
he is infinite in love, holding on as long as there is hope —

9yet he will not strive for all eternity to win our hearts;
he will not hold back forever letting us go our own rebellious way.

10He doesn’t lay on us what our terminal sin-condition rightly deserves
or leave us to rot in character, as our selfishness would naturally do.

11As high as heaven is above the earth,
so mighty is his love to heal those who revere him;

12as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes the infection of fear and selfishness from us.

13As a father tenderly pours love upon his children,
so the Lord tenderly pours his love upon those who revere him;

14for he knows how we are made,
and he realizes we are descended from one man who was formed from mud.

15For human life is like grass:
we blossom like flowers in the field,

16then the winds of time blow and the flower is gone,
and where it grew no one remembers.

17But from eternity past to eternity future,
the love of the Lord flows out to those who revere him —
his righteous remedy healing all generations

18who participate in his treatment plan
and live in harmony with his design protocols for life.

19The Creator God has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom of love governs over all creation.

20Praise the Lord, you loyal angels of God —
you mighty beings who do his bidding,
who carry out his commands.

21Praise the Lord, all who live in heaven —
you who live devoted to doing his will.

22Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
throughout his entire domain.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.