Abiding in the PsalmsSample

Approaching God What’s your attitude when you go to God after you’ve sinned? Sometimes it’s coloured with guilt, shame – maybe you get a little bit hesitant and nervous because you know how far you fell short and you feel like you’ve let God down. Psalm 103 shows us how we can approach God with our sin – with rejoicing, thanksgiving and praise! David says “Bless the Lord, O my soul!” Not because God needs our blessing, but because it honours God when we worship Him the way He deserves to be worshipped. David is preaching to his own soul “praise God even more!” It’s important that it’s his soul that he’s asking to bless the Lord, because it’s not just outward blessing of songs, prayer, fancy words and lengthy apologies. Your soul is all that is within you: your heart, your mind, your hopes, your dreams, your desires, your regrets...let all of you praise God. David is wanting to worship with everything that he has, and mean every word he is saying. David remembers all that God has done for him. As you approach God with your sin, remember what He does. He forgives, He heals, He lifts your life up from the lowest points, He pours out love and compassion over you. Instead of wallowing in what you’ve done, praise Him for what He has done! David also remembers who God is. He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, forgiving, and gives you grace. Instead of focusing on who you are and your own shortcomings, thank God for who He is! God’s approach to our sin isn’t to just ignore it, and He doesn’t ask you to “just push down” these feelings of guilt and shame. This psalm shows you that you should praise God because He has removed your sin from you, and cast it so far away you cannot reach it – your sin is gone and so you shouldn’t try to dwell amongst your sin and shame any longer. God knows you, He formed you, He knows what your tendencies are and what you’re like, and He still loves you and chose to give His life for you. Are there sins that you feel such shame over that you can’t go to God for? Or if you do approach God, you're filled with guilt? Take some time to pray over this by letting your soul “bless the Lord”. Give God praise for what He has done, honour Him for who He is, and thank Him for removing your sin from you.