A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 104

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 104
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth food from the earth,
And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart (Psalm 104:14-15).
 
It was 1971 when I became one of the founders of DaySpring Cards. I retired in 2008. During those thirty-seven years I had the opportunity to help create many products that brought God’s heart to others—including cards, stationery, tracts, gift items, wall decor and books.
 
As the business grew, it became a bigger and bigger challenge to keep pace with the demand for new products. I began to feel the pressure to keep up with the schedule. When new product requests from marketing landed on my desk, I didn’t see them as new opportunities to get a message out, but as “more stuff” to do.
 
It was during this time that my Bible reading brought me to Psalm 104. When I came to verse 15 (wine that makes glad the heart of man, Oil to make his face shine, And bread which strengthens man’s heart.”) it immediately got my attention!
 
As I pondered what was being said, I sensed the Lord speaking to my heart about my work attitude. In a very reassuring way, the Lord moved my focus away from numbers and deadlines, back to where my heart needed to be. I was reminded that the purpose behind starting our company was to make Christ known to our generation through the printed page, and to encourage, and comfort God’s people.
 
The spiritual significance of three key words in Verse 15 (wine, oil, and bread) made the difference in my life at that time…
 
WINE represents the joy and gladness the Holy Spirit brings to our spiritual lives.
 
OIL represents the radiant presence of the Lord upon our countenance.
 
BREAD represents the strength and nourishment of the Word of God as we receive it into our hearts.
 
These three words changed my whole perspective on the creative process. I stopped seeing product development as “more stuff”. Instead, each new product became an opportunity to create new wine, anointing oil, and fresh bread.
 
Insight: Whatever Kingdom work God calls you to do, there will always be opportunities to bring new wine to the thirsty, anointing oil to refresh the weary and fresh bread to feed needy hearts.

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow
©2026 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
 
Restore, Renew and Refresh in the Psalms
Green Pastures. Quiet Waters. Righteous Paths.
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A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 103

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 103
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagles (Psalm 103:1-5).
 
 
If you’re looking for spiritual treasures in God’s Word, you can consider Psalm 103 a goldmine! This Psalm gathers the wonders of God’s goodness and deposits them within our hearts like golden nuggets of joy. The generosity of His goodness is overwhelming! 
 
In the first five verses alone the following seven benefits are revealed:
*Forgiveness of all sins.
*Healing of all diseases.
*Redemption from destruction.
*Crowned with lovingkindness.
*Crowned with tender mercies
*Satisfied with good things.
*Renewed like the eagles.
 
As a young believer, someone shared with me God’s benefits found in Psalm 103. The third verse became one of my favorite promises and proclamations in the Bible. Throughout the years my faith has been strengthened, my hope has been renewed, and my heart has been comforted because of this amazing passage of Scripture.
 
Why do we ask God to forgive us when we have sinned? Because God is merciful. God forgives because His Hebrew name is Yahweh Hessed, meaning God of forgiveness.
 
Why do we ask God for healing when we are sick? Because God is all-powerful. God heals because His Hebrew name is Yahweh Rapha, meaning the Lord who heals. 
 
Some look around, see the heartaches of life and ask, “How can there be a loving God?"

My question about life is the opposite…
When I look around and see the sin, selfishness, and rebellion against God that is in the human heart, I ask, “How can there be so much goodness, blessing, compassion and care? How can there be grace, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness? How can there be salvation, hope, and love?"

In the light of my questions here is what I have come to see…
 
In heartache, I see a Healer.
In sorrow, I see a Comforter.
In darkness, I see a Light.
In suffering, I see a Burden Bearer.
In discouragement, I see a Lifter of our heads.
In need, I see an Intercessor.
In want, I see a Shepherd.
In loneliness, I see an unfailing Friend.
In grieving, I see the One who wipes away tears.
In death, I see the One who is the Resurrection and the Life!
 
Insight: Our hearts are not made to figure things out and come up with the answer to every question. Our hearts are made to turn to God and put our trust in Him. He may not give us the answer to every question we have, but He will meet every need we have.

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow
©2026 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
 
Restore, Renew and Refresh in the Psalms
Green Pastures. Quiet Waters. Righteous Paths.
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A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 102

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 102
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Hear my prayer, O Lord, And let my cry come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline Your ear to me; In the day that I call, answer me speedily (Psalm 102:1-2).
 
Isn’t it wonderfully amazing how prayer works! And isn’t it even more amazing that prayer is even possible!! Reading the first two verses of Psalm 102 should put hope in our hearts and boldness in our requests. The prayer does not begin with the words, “Lord, now that I have it all together, now that I’ve been good, now that I have memorized Scripture, now that I’ve given up five things I love to do…please hear me and answer my prayer.”
 
Instead, the prayer of Psalm 102 begins with brokenness and a burden, with humbleness and deep hurt, with pleading and earnest petition. 
The only thing the prayer can offer up to God is trouble and tears. This is not a prayer that God walks away from. The opposite is true…

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed” (Psalm 34:18 NLT).
 
My Prayer Song
 
God of all, thank You for being my all-in-all.
You are my God and You are my Father.
Your supply meets my needs.
Your hand is my covering.
Your voice quiets my soul.
 
In my day You are my light,
Against my foes You win the fight.
Thank You, Lord, for all You do,
There is no other God like You!
 
God of all, thank You for being so faithful.
You are my Life and You are my Keeper.
Your presence is my joy.
Your shield is my shelter.
Sing Your love song over me.
 
In my day You are my light,
Against my foes You win the fight.
Thank You, Lord, for all You do,
There is no other God like You!
 
Insight: Our boldness in prayer is in the God who invites us to pray; Our hope in prayer is in the God who listens to prayer; Our rejoicing in prayer is in the God who answers prayer.

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow
©2026 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
 
Restore, Renew and Refresh in the Psalms
Green Pastures. Quiet Waters. Righteous Paths.
meetinginthemeadow.com
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A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 101

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 101
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O Lord, I will sing praises. I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness. Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure. 
My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, That they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me. He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord (Psalm 101:1-8).
 
In Psalm 101 David expresses what kind of a king he wanted to be to Israel. He shares many of the moral qualities that should shape the character of every servant of the Lord. These qualities include the values, priorities, and behaviors that are pleasing to God and beneficial to the lives of others.
 
It’s a beautiful thing when the heart of God is being expressed through His people. As believers, all of us are called to be servants of the Lord and extensions of His love through our serving, giving, caring, supporting, guiding, encouraging, helping, and listening. These extensions of God’s love flow from a life that is yielded and filled with the heart of Him who came, “not to be served, but to serve.”
 
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:3-5).
 
10 characteristics that express God’s heart to others:
 
*Tender-heartedness—showing mercy and compassion through acts of kindness.
 
*Availability—investing meaningful time with someone, even if it’s inconvenient. 
 
*Humility—taking a lowly place so someone else can be lifted higher. 
 
*Faithfulness—promises and actions that demonstrate loyalty and build trust.
 
*Graciousness—not needing a reason to express love.
 
*Wisdom—making decisions that will result in the highest good and produce the best outcome. 
 
*Truthfulness—the most direct path to real freedom.
 
*Fairness—responding to someone in a way that is righteous, just and impartial.
 
*Sincerity—the evidence that lets others know you really care.
 
*Encouragement—imparting what’s uplifting, faith building, and brings hope for the future.
 
Once, during a hot summer’s day, I needed to stop by a large discount store to buy some items for our home. The place was packed and I had to park at the far end of the parking lot. When I finished shopping I walked out of the air conditioned store pushing a full cart. As I walked across the hot pavement of the parking lot, I dreaded the thought of returning the cart to the store when I finished unloading.
 
Before I reached my car, I noticed a Christian friend unloading his cart several parking spaces from mine. I stopped to greet him and then continued on to my car. When I finished unloading, I wanted to skip returning the cart and leaving it in the parking lot instead. Just then, I saw my friend walking towards me—“Can I return your cart for you?” he asked. I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough!
 
As I watched him walk my cart back to the store, the truth of what had happened became clear…“That was Jesus returning my cart through one of His servants!”
 
Albert W. T. Orsbom wrote the following hymn as a heart-felt prayer for every servant of the Lord who desires to bring God’s heart to the heart of others.

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All His wonderful passion and purity;
May His spirit divine all my being refine,
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.
When somebody has been so unkind to you,
Some words spoken that pierces you thru and thru;
Think how He was beguiled, spat upon and reviled,
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.
From the dawn of the morning to close of day,
In example in deeds and in all you say;
Lay your gifts at His feet, ever strive to keep sweet,
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.
 
Insight: It is a good thing to do a good thing.
 
Insight: Every follower of the Lord should live a life worth following. 
 
"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1).

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow
©2026 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
 
Restore, Renew and Refresh in the Psalms
Green Pastures. Quiet Waters. Righteous Paths.
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A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 100

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 100
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations (Psalm 100:1-5).
 
Imagine yourself wandering in the desert trying to find your way through a sandstorm. The heat is intense, you can’t see ahead of you, and your thirst is unbearable. You don’t know what to do, when suddenly, the wind stops, the sandstorm ends, and your visibility clears. A short distance in front of you is a beautiful green, fertile oasis. You see date palms, and a pool of water being fed by an underground source. Near to the pool you discover a traveler with  two camels and an abundance of supplies. Oh, how great is your joy, how deep is your wonder, how abundant is your thankfulness!
 
Psalm 100 is like an oasis to our souls in the midst of the storms of life we often walk through in a dry and thirsty land! Psalm 100 refreshes us by reminding us of who God is, renews us by proclaiming what God does, and restores our souls as we magnify His name.
 
Who God is—He is Lord, He is good, His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations.
 
What God does—He made us! We belong to Him and we are the sheep of His pasture.
 
Our response—Make a joyful shout to the Lord. Know that He is God. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His presence with singing.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
 
Our worship of the Lord’s glory is a repeated theme throughout the Psalms. In His presence our hearts are filled with words and emotions that glorify Him. He delights in our joyfulness, in our praises, in our singing, and in our thankfulness. It is His will that our obedience and service to Him flow from a heart of gladness, graciousness, and gratitude.
 
The glory of the Lord is the “true north” of all Scripture. His glory NEVER changes! Who God is and all He does is the revelation and manifestation of His glory to our hearts.
 
Insight:
“If you had to come up with one word, above all, that best describes the God of the Bible, it would be glory. God’s glory is the sum total of all God’s attributes.” -R.T. Kendall
 
Insight:
If He wasn't the Master, where would I go?
If He wasn't my Father, Who'd heal my soul?
If He wasn't the Teacher, How could I learn?
If He wasn't my Shepherd, where would I turn?

-Roy Lessin

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow
©2026 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Shannon Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
 
Restore, Renew and Refresh in the Psalms
Green Pastures. Quiet Waters. Righteous Paths.
meetinginthemeadow.com
BlessedDayCards.com