Daily Devotional • January 1
Psalm 103
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works vindication
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for mortals, their days are like grass;
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers who do his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Meditation
The Feast of the Holy Name always falls eight days after the birth of Jesus. In Jewish tradition, the eighth day of a child’s life is a monumental moment when they receive the sign of the covenant — circumcision — and formally receive their name.
Mary and Joseph had it easy. The angel Gabriel had already appeared to them and revealed their child’s name: Jesus, meaning “the Lord is salvation.” But this name is more than a title; it is a proclamation of Jesus’ identity as salvation incarnate — God with us. There is no sweeter name than the name of Jesus, the very embodiment of salvation.
The psalmist captures the power of God’s name in the opening words of Psalm 103: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.” This name carries such profound significance, for at its sound, every knee in heaven and on earth will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Lord.
The psalmist does well to remind us that in this Holy Name, we find forgiveness, healing, redemption, mercy, loving kindness, satisfaction, and justice. And so we rejoice in this child, just eight days old and yet the source of all salvation — the Holy Name of Jesus.
Steven McCain serves at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church and School in Raleigh, North Carolina. He lives in the Raleigh area with his wife, Elizabeth, and three sons, Benjamin, James, and Micah.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
The Diocese of Kwoi – The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
