The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.

                                                                                                                 Psalm 103:8-14

It is important for us to understand the character and nature of God. I believe that spending time reflecting on God’s goodness helps bring spiritual life and Psalm 103 is a great place to sit, read, and reflect. David mentions five characteristics of God: compassion, graciousness, patience, love, and kindness.

Compassion is deep sympathy or sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune. This is usually accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate that suffering. By saying that God is compassionate, David is reflecting on God’s ability and willingness to sympathize with the plight of human existence. We see this illustrated in Genesis as God looks down from heaven and sees the wickedness of mankind and the total depravity of their thinking. God was grieved in His heart over the wickedness of mankind (Genesis 6:6). The arrival of Jesus demonstrates that God is willing to alleviate the suffering of mankind by means of redemption. We experience God’s compassion as we receive God’s offer of salvation and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.

Grace comes from the Greek word charis and means favor. Grace involves joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, and mercy. By saying that God is gracious, David is reflecting on God’s ability and willingness to provide mankind with what he does not deserve. The arrival of Jesus was a demonstration of God’s willingness, by His grace, to save mankind. It is extremely important for us to understand that however egregious our sin is to God, His grace is all the more triumphant (Romans 5:20). In fact, when compared to the sin of mankind, Paul describes God’s grace as having super-abounded! Just like superman can leap tall buildings in a single bound, God’s grace can extend even to the most flagrant of sinners. We experience God’s grace as we come to know Jesus Christ in a saving relationship.

Slow to anger is another way of saying that God is patient. To be patient means that God is willing to bear the provocation, annoyance, and pain that comes from the sin of mankind without any complaint or loss of temper. This is so beautifully illustrated in today’s Psalm:

He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

                                                                                                               Psalm 103:9-10

By saying that God is slow to anger, David is reflecting on God’s ability and willingness to relent from the passing of judgment, providing an opportunity for salvation for all who will call on the name of the Lord and believe (Romans 10:11-13). God is patient and that patience is to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4). We experience God’s patience when we receive this offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Love is the ability to demonstrate affection, goodwill, and benevolence in the life of another. God’s love is a perfect love. For mankind, love is often situational and depends on the mood or attitude of another person. God’s love is constant and doesn’t ebb and flow based on circumstance. By saying that God is love, David is reflecting on God’s ability and willingness to provide a Savior to mankind in response to his sin. David expresses it this way:

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

                                                                                                            Psalm 103:11-12

As scripture teaches us, love is not love unless it is willing to act (James 2:15-16, 1 John 3:16-18). We see the love of God displayed in “For God so loved the world that He gave…” (John 3:16). God’s love for humanity was the basis for His willingness to give us Jesus. We experience God’s love when we enter into a personal relationship with Him.

Finally, when defining kindness, consider some of the following synonyms: affection, benevolence, charity, tolerance, sympathy, gentleness, and understanding. By saying that God is kind, David is reflecting on God’s ability and willingness to handle us in a loving and nurturing way. Consider David’s description of God’s kindness:

Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.                                                                                                                

                                                                                                            Psalm 103:13-14 

Jesus tells us to come to Him and He will give us rest. We are to learn from Christ, understanding that He is gentle and humble in heart. We are told that His yoke is easy (which literally means kind) and that His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). Going back and mediating on David’s words in Psalm 23 would act as good reinforcement in considering the kindness of God. We experience God’s kindness as we make Him the priority of each and every day.

Take some time today, open up Psalm 103, and reflect on the character and nature of God!