Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O 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. Psalm 103:1–5
For some reason, Biblical authors correlate renewal with eagles. We see it here with David in Psalm 103, but also in Isaiah 40:31. Interestingly, in the week of renewal Debb and I experienced with other pastors and wives at Genesee Home in northern California, an eagle was one creature I did not see. But I was ok with that, in view of how often I get to see them up here in the Pacific Northwest. Yet in this isolated wilderness at the very north end of the Sierra Nevadas last week, I did get to see red-winged black birds, stellar jays, hawks and some very territorial hummingbirds. And every single day, in the meadow just behind the very large, old brick house with lodging for five pastoral couples, we saw black tail deer—16 to be precise including seven buck, eight doe and one adorable fawn (Bambi!).
And though I did not get to see a bear, personally, I did get to see a bear’s handiwork, not only in the dumped trash can and scat right outside my bedroom window, but also in the broken clavicle, scraped up leg and dislocated finger of one of the pastors in our group. We were told not to bike down a certain path, but I guess pastors are just as rebellious as the rest of the population. Sadly, this pastor cannot even say it was the bear that caused him harm. For when the bear darted across the road in front of him, it was his “slamming” on the brakes and going head first over the handlebars that did all the damage.
It was, in part, all of this wild-life, including a gray fox scampering across the road on our way to the airport, along with the rugged mountains and beautiful streams (though suffering the effects of the drought) which provided the perfect context for a time of renewal. It was also very helpful that we had no internet, no cell coverage, and no television to distract us. In fact, Debb and I were even more isolated by the fact that we had no car by which to take a drive. As a result, we had an abundance of time for fellowship—fellowship with our hosts and fellow guests, fellowship with great Christian writings, fellowship with each other, and fellowship with God.
It was during one of these times of fellowship that I spent time meditating upon the words above. I was drawn to this psalm because one quiet afternoon, while I was alone in the “prayer barn” looking out at the meadow, I was moved to sing— “Bless the Lord, O my soul; o my soul, worship His holy name!” This song is taken directly from Psalm 103.
But though it was the “benefits” of His beautiful creation which moved me to praise initially, it was the reminders of forgiveness, redemption, and divine love in this Psalm which really drew me in. For the temporary blessings of this world elicit praise, but it is God’s love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ that is the most powerful motivator of praise and the deepest source of renewal.
We all need times of renewal. It isn’t just pastors and missionaries. And it isn’t just once every four years (when we had our last visit to Genesee Home). We all need time alone in His presence, time to unplug from the busyness of an increasingly busy world, time to draw near to our Redeemer. Extended times of renewal are wonderful, whether it is a one day retreat to the mountains or a few days where you can get alone with God. But how good it is that we can unplug daily and draw near to God because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. The veil which kept us out of the holy of holies has been torn. Because Jesus paid for our sin, we are now able to boldly come before the throne of grace!
Summer can be such a busy time for all of us. And it makes it that much harder when our schedules are upended by trips, vacations, and the like. But do not let
such things keep you from experiencing daily times of renewal in the presence of your maker. Take time each and every day this summer to, like the psalmist, instruct your soul in the art of blessing the Lord.
In Him, Pastor Dan