Psalm 103:14 – “For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are DUST.”
Limitations. Boundaries. We are physically, emotionally, mentally – really in every way – only capable of so much. And certainly we are Spiritually held back by our fallenness. We need not hide this truth from God, nor try to act as if we are impervious. “For He knows our frame,” our very dusty frame.
Verse 14 is written in the context of God’s compassion and mercy shown towards our sinfulness, towards our limited ability to live a holy, perfect life. We are dusty.
Lord, I begin this day dusty. Layers of dust, layers of my limited – and failed – attempts at perfection. I work and sweat, which only turns the dust to mud, sticking and clinging, not falling away from me. Yet I have fallen away, failing to cling and stick to my Creator. When not working and sweating, I try to stand motionless, doing nothing in hopes that “nothing” is better than doing something wrong. Yet the dust of this crusty old world still piles, accumulates. My mind covered in dust. My vision clouded.
Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.
Jesus came down to this dust, became this dirt. As a child he played in the dirt. He grew to walk dusty paths and hugged dusty people. Stories are told that Jesus spit in the dust, and He drew in the dirt. Saliva combined with dust to form a healing mud, a sight-giving mud. His finger drew lines and twirled circles in the dirt in such a way that led to love and forgiveness setting free a promiscuous woman, causing accusers to drop dusty stones. Jesus’ touch makes dirt less dusty.
Jesus, You were nailed to a roughly hewn cross – a cross that once grew as a tree out of the dust, a cross cut and shaped and assembled by a pair of very dusty hands. While on that cross, Your body was suspended above the dust, just above the clouds of dust kicked up by grossly misinformed and dusty passersby.
O Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.
God, you know my frame. Remember that I am dust. That I am a very dusty fellow who daily needs the Savior who became dust, overcame dust.
At the age of 32 I married my best friend, Beth. Thirteen years later we are blessed with two very energetic kids - Jack (12) and Calleigh (9). My wife is a ridiculously good cook who loves hosting dinners in our home, and then I go to the gym to work off the calories. I am an avid reader who appreciates contemplative, Spiritual conversations shared over a cup of coffee. Hobbies and interests include reading and writing, journaling, working out, and St. Louis Cardinal’s baseball. 