The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.
It's a reminder, one that we may well need, that we're living in God's kingdom and that we should be living according to God's intentions for us. The Lord's desire is for all to be fed and attended to. Those who care what the Lord wants will work toward these goals.
All. Think about it--all. All to be fed. All to be attended to. All.
The Psalmist is quoting the proclamation of the Lord on Sinai after Moses had cut the words of the Ten Commandments onto stone tablets. This good news of love for all is repeated throughout the scriptures (The Wesley Study Bible cites as examples Numbers 14:18; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 103:8, 17; and Jonah 4:2).
I'm reading these words today first as a reminder that God loves me, gives me what I need, and is merciful when I don't deserve mercy. And, these words are also a reminder to me that I'm not the only recipient of God's gifts and mercy; nor, are they restricted to people like me. God has compassion over all. And, then, it gets harder for me. If God is compassionate to all, how does God expect me to be?
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