Monday, September 12, 2016

Only dust


 "The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
 He will not constantly accuse us,
    nor remain angry forever.
 He does not punish us for all our sins;
    he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
    is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
 He has removed our sins as far from us
    as the east is from the west.
 The Lord is like a father to his children,
    tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
 For he knows how weak we are;
    he remembers we are only dust...
 But the love of the Lord remains forever
    with those who fear him." Psalm 103

Only dust.  What a humbling reality.  We are here for a moment and then we are gone.  In all the bustle of our lives, all our bravado and chest pounding, we are simply dust and will return to the dust.

But, and I love that word 'but.'  It changes everything when I read "The Lord is compassionate and merciful."  For all my frailty and brevity, for all my sins and fears I have a loving Father who forgives and loves, who is tender and compassionate.  I'm only dust, but God loves me.  How humbling and how wonderful.  




2 comments:

Robyn Rochelle E. said...

And you dear friend! You minister to all of us dust particles ALL the time! And between His word and these dust mites... That's really the most important investment in eternity!

Mike Messerli said...

thank you dear friend. so thankful for the lives we all share as we watch God work through us. and I'm constantly amazed at how he does use us when we least expect it. thanks for your sweet words. oh, and I saw your old friends from up there. they left you, didn't they? great to see them again.