His Lovingkindness

Psalm 103: 4, 11, 13, 17 (Amplified)
4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercy
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and lovingkindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.
13 As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him.
17 But the mercy and lovingkindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, and His righteousness is to children's children.

This great chapter in the Psalms is often quoted for "blessing the Lord" in verses 1-4 and following. But as I read this chapter recently I was completely overwhelmed with the constant reference to the Lord's lovingkindness to us. In these four verses there are these awesome descriptions that David uses to explain it.

The first one is in verse 4 - and he describes the lovingkindness of the Lord as a CROWN. He beautifies and dignifies me with a crown of His lovingkindness and tender mercy. I often experience headaches. But I have come to pray over myself that everything be removed off of my head except for the lovingkindness of the Lord to me. I see myself as wearing an awesome crown. I really want to take hold of that one.

The second description is in verse 11 - the lovingkindness of God is as great and huge as the HEAVENS above the earth. When I look up at the sky, and I often do, I can only try to imagine the vastness of His love and mercy towards me.

Next we look in verse 13 - the love and mercy of my heavenly FATHER can be seen in the great love and mercy of a good earthly father. I know that I see it in myself, the love and compassion of a parent for their children. I give my own children much grace and the benefit of the doubt, probably to a fault. It is my heart to work hard in their behalf and give them every advantage and provision that I possibly can. God is like that towards me.

Lastly, in verse 17 - the lovingkindness of the Lord is FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING. How long is that? How much is that? I believe it's pretty much infinite. It is immeasurable , as are all of God's attributes.

As I read this chapter, I just was undone by seeing how great is His love towards me. (see also Psalm 139)

Worship and Bow Down

Psalm 95 : 6-11 (Amplified)

6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice,

8 Harden not your hearts as at Meribah and as at Massah in the day of temptation in the wilderness,

9 When your fathers tried My patience and tested Me, proved Me, and saw My work [of judgment].

10 Forty years long was I grieved and disgusted with that generation, and I said, It is a people that do err in their hearts, and they do not approve, acknowledge, or regard My ways.
11 Wherefore I swore in My wrath that they would not enter My rest.

It has been revealed to me lately the great need for us to bow down before our Maker when we worship. And equally as important to kneel before the Lord when we worship. Kneeling and bowing down are not commonly seen in churches. Only those who are having a crisis, a meltdown, or are deeply moved in worship are the ones who seem to step out of the boundaries of the usual and bow down or kneel in times of worship. But in the Bible, bowing down is not unusual. This word "worship" from Strong's concordance means - -
--to bow down
--something that is low or in a depressed configuration
--to bow down, prostrate oneself

Here are some other Psalms using the word "worship" which means "to bow down". I Chron. 16:29, Psalm 29:2, Psalm 96:9, Psalm 99:5, Psalm 99:9, and Psalm 132:7.

In Psalm 95, the verses following verse 6 talk about being hard-hearted. Verses 7-11 continue to say that the hard-hearted try and test God's patience and are judged. 
Look at verse 10-  Forty years long was I grieved and disgusted with that generation, and I said, It is a people that do err in their hearts, and they do not approve, acknowledge, or regard My ways.
Can you imagine the Lord being grieved and disgusted with a group of people for 40 years?  I wonder if He hoped that their response to Him would change, that they would begin to trust Him completely and quit looking back to Egypt. I can't think of a single human being who would be that patient. And He keeps making the way for them.. for us.. for me. And keeps being patient and caring.

Could it be that if I am not willing to bow or kneel that I am considered hard-hearted? I don't want to be that way, I don't want my love to grow cold. I want to follow God in His ways.

Lord, keep us pure hearted.