Are you tired?

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
 who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

 As a father has compassion on his children,
 so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him and his righteousness with their children’s children—
with those who keep his covenant
    and remember to obey his precepts.

The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules over all.

 Praise the Lord, you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    who obey his word.
Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
    you his servants who do his will.
Praise the Lord, all his works
    everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Psalm 103

Have you praised the Lord today?  I confess, I am tired. I didn’t want to praise him today. I got an unfair grade on a report. I lots points on a final for taking too long to answer. I didn’t get a job I didn’t really want, but would have had my ego stroked if I had been offered it. So instead of writing inspiring words, I decided to rest in one of my favorite Psalms.

David knew what it was like to be tired. He knew what the sting of rejection felt like, and to have someone dislike him, through no fault of his own. David knew what being treated unfairly felt like, and he had been unfairly judged. David knew my life, maybe better than I know it.

And David knew what I needed to hear, and what I need to do. I need to remember. I need to sit down, and let my Savior love on me. I need to praise him. I need to worship.

Did you notice all those action words, actions that God takes for you? Forgive, heal, crown, redeem, satisfy. He works righteousness and justice for me. For you. And perhaps my favorite part, he does not treat me as I deserve, and he is mindful that I am dust. (My kids used to say that he is mindful that we are butt-dust, a play on "we are but dust", but that’s a story for another day!)

What kind of a week have you had? Are you tired today? Maybe every muscle aches, or maybe this was a two policeman day, or maybe you are just tired. Maybe your spirit aches. Maybe you are confused, or hurting.

Take a minute. Remember. Praise the Lord. Lift your soul before his throne, and worship. He is worthy.