Psalm 106 (résumé): Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

This is the last psalm in book 4 of the psalms and it starts giving thanks to the Lord because he is good, and his love endures forever. The psalm confesses Israel's repeated sin in stark contrast to God's steadfast love and goodness. It recalls Israel's sin-prone history from the Red Sea to the Babylonian exile showing God's great mercy. Israel  "soon forgot what God had done for them at the Red Sea... at Horeb they made a golden calf... they despised the land and grumbled in their tents... they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor... by the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord... they sacrificed their children to demons... so the Lord was angry with his people."

Psalm 105 (résumé): Give thanks to the Lord!

 Psalm 105 is a positive hymn of praise to God starting: "Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name... tell of his wonderful acts!" The text traces God's blessing on the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, on Joseph in Egypt and on the miraculous deliverance of God's people through the plagues and exodus. The psalm remembers how God blessed and brought our Israel from Egypt "laden with silver and gold" and led them with cloud and fire. God fed them with quail and bread and gave them water to drink from the rock. God "brought out his people with rejoicing and his holy ones with shouts of joy!"

Street meeting

Last night I made the half-hour journey to the town of São Mamede where our grandson John David is a doctor (GP) in a SUS (NHS) clinic. We held a street service in front of Larissa's house where I brought a short word on Psalm 103:11-12 entitled "God's love is over the moon"! A number of people took part in the service and the main message was brought by Pastor Rafael. Everyone was served a hot dog and fruit juice after the lovely service. 

Today is our daughter Deborah's birthday. Deborah is an English language teacher and a veterinary doctor. Happy Birthday Deborah! 😃

Psalm 104 (résumé): Praise the Lord. O my soul!

Psalm 104 is a lovely hymn of praise to God the creator and sustainer of creation clearly echoing the Genesis creation narratives. It starts praising the Lord clothed in splendour and majesty who stretches out the heavens like a tent. God uses the clouds as his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He set the earth on its foundations and put a boundary for the waters. The psalmist goes on to praise God for his provisions for nature giving water to the beasts, habitat for the birds, grass for the cattle and plants for man to cultivate. He says that the trees are well watered, the stork nests in the pine trees and wild goats live in the mountains. He then says that God created the moon to mark seasons and organized all aspects of the cycle of nature and life. He goes on to focus on the diversity of life in the sea and on the land where all depends on God for food and breath. Finally he praises God as long as he lives. "Praise the Lord, O my soul!"

Arthur

Our globe-trotting grandson Arthur is in São Paulo where he went to attend the Lollapalooza Brasil 2026 alternative music festival at the Interlagos Car Racing Circuit and to visit other cultural activities in São Paulo. I think he is going to the UK in the summer. 

Our Care Centre dentist, Dr. Lariza, attended Green Pastures folk yesterday: Leca, Fernanda and Flávinho. We brought them into Patos and took them home again afterwards.

I have written the résumés/summaries/abbreviated versions of the first 100 psalms having thus completed two-thirds of the Book of Psalms which is the biggest book in the Bible. This means I have completed nearly half (48%) of the Bible!

It rained 4,5 mm at Green Pastures yesterday.

Psalm 103 (résumé): Praise the Lord, O my soul!

This psalm is an exuberant hymn of praise to God: "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name"! "He forgives, heals and redeems me and crowns me with loving kindness!... he satisfies my desires with good things... the Lord is compassionate and gracious... he does not treat us as our sins deserve... his love is as high as the heavens and he removed our sins from us as far as east to west... God's love for those who fear him is from everlasting to everlasting... God's kingdom rules over all... praise the Lord O angels... praise the Lord you his servants... praise the Lord, O my soul!"

Psalm 102 (résumé): Hear my prayer, O Lord!

A lament - a prayer of an afflicted man. The psalmist cries for help from God because he is in distress. His bones are like glowing embers and he is reduced to skin and bones like a desert owl! His enemies taunt him and use his name as a curse and he withers away like grass. However in verse 12 the psalmist changes tack with "But you, O Lord!" Now his focus is not on his suffering but on his saviour! He looks to God who is enthroned forever and whom he believes will have compassion on Zion. "The Lord will rebuild Zion," he exclaims, and appear in his glory and answer prayer. God's name will be declared in Zion". Then the psalmist closes comparing God's "years go on through all generations" with the brevity of human existence.