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God is gracious and a father to those who fear him (Psalm 103:8,13). Grace means undeserved favor. God is gracious in not treating us as we deserve. As we shall see later, God is perfectly just in pouring his love upon us because of what Jesus has done for us. But it is his grace that caused him to find a way to be able to love us even though we are sinners. We do not deserve his favor - but we do enjoy it!
1. Read Psalm 103:1-5. What does David command himself to do? Address the command to yourself and obey it, filling in all the particulars with details from your own life.
2. What does David mean when he says that the Lord is gracious? (Psalm 103:8-12)
3. To whom does God reveal himself as Father? (Psalm 103:13). Compare this with John 8:42-47; Romans 8:12-17. This would indicate that it is not true to think of God’s fatherhood as universally applicable. It is reserved for the special recipients of God’s grace in adoption. This should help us not to take God’s grace for granted.
4. When David says that we should fear God (Psalm 103:13), he does not mean we should be terrified. Rather, he is speaking of having a proper respect and honor for a holy God. What does the Psalm say are the benefits of relating to God in this way? (Psalm 103:11,13,17). In what ways should we so honor him? (Psalm 103:18,20,21)
5. Psalm 107 describes different ways in which God’s father-like love is demonstrated. It divides into a number of sections each describing different situations in which that love is revealed. See what problem was addressed and how was it solved in each of these sections:
a) vs.4-9 b) vs.10-16 c) vs.17-22 d) vs.23-32
6. What had to happen in each case before God’s grace was released? (Psalm 107:6,13,19,28)
7. What should our response to God’s grace be? (Psalm 107:21,22,31,32,42)
8. Is God’s grace given indiscriminately to all alike? (Psalm 107:33,34,39,40,42)
9. With this understanding of the nature of God’s grace, read Ephesians 2:1-10. In what ways does Paul’s description of our lives before we become Christians appear similar to the people in trouble in Psalm 107? What is the basis of our salvation?
Have you cried to the Lord in your trouble as the various people in Psalm 107 did? Are you conscious of the hopelessness of being a sinner before a holy God? If so, call out to the Lord; in his grace he will save you from your distress. Are you in some situation of personal need? If so, cry to the Lord (mindful of the need to honor him), and in his grace he will have compassion on you as father to his children.
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