An insomniac's Psalm 103: Verse 4

". . . who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy . . ."

Another translation of the verse has it: "Who redeems your life from destruction." I used to think it was God who will destroy sinners. And of course Jesus does say we are to fear the one who can destroy body and soul in hell (Matthew 10:28).

But I learned from Genesis 6:11-12 that God only destroys that which is already self-destroyed. In describing Noah's times the Bible says, "Now the earth was corrupt," and the Hebrew word for "corrupt" means "self-destroyed." It is not so much that God annihilated the world of Noah because they were corrupt, as that the folks of that time had annihilated themselves---all God had to do was wipe them off the plate, as one would wipe off any food that had spoiled.

I know what it is to destroy oneself. As I look back, almost all the bad things that have happened to me have come about by my sin in one way or another. (I know that is not true of everyone.) This understanding enhances my appreciation for God's "redeeming my life from the pit." Mine was a pit of my making. I was self-destroyed when God met me; I was not a victim of circumstances.

Just feel God's heart in this verse---the superfluousness of his love, the cup running over, the beautiful redundance and layering of "redeeming" and "steadfast love" and "mercy." It is as if he strains his heavenly thesaurus to get us to understand how "in" we are with him. There was a film titled He's Just Not That Into You. I didn't see it but the title makes me sad. How wonderful that God is that into us.

"Redeem" means "to free from a lien by payment of an amount secured thereby." I was picturing redemption transactions, the people who approach a debt-holder to purchase back a desired item by effecting an exchange. They hand over items and moneys---and are sorry enough to part with them---but then are able to turn around and walk out. But who ever heard of the man handing himself over to the debt-holder and not leaving? There was nothing else he could give that would suffice. "Thou hast prepared a body for me" (Hebrews 10:5).

"Steadfast love." Who has ever experienced that? Actually, I do know something resembling it, someone whose love is (evidently) impossible to destroy, who does the seventy times seven with me. What a blessing we bequeath to one another when we behave like God, living as mini-incarnations of His love. For it reminds us of a greater steadfastness of which this earthly joy is just the millionth part.

To read "Verse 5," click here.

To hear commentaries by Andrée Seu, click here.