Gospel musician Andrae Crouch (PHH 552) composed a song for the familiar opening phrases of Psalm 103, one of the much-loved Old Testament hymns about God's love and compassion for his people. Only the refrain, which frames his longer text, provides a frame around the entire psalm. Crouch retains the conventional Hebrew custom of addressing oneself as "my soul." Crouch's phrase "He has done great things" is a summary reference to all the mighty and compassionate deeds of the Lord described in Psalm 103–God forgives, heals, provides, and redeems; and he is gracious, patient, loving, and just (see PHH 103 for additional comments on the psalm) .
We celebrate with joy that Christ has come to rescue us from sin and evil through the work of his son, Jesus Christ. Our World Belongs to God, paragraph 35 identifies the church as “the fellowship of those who confess Jesus as Lord…the bride of Christ…”
Belgic Confession, Article 21 professes how Jesus Christ is a high priest forever and provided for the cleansing of our sins; Article 10 proclaims him as the “true eternal God, the Almighty, whom we invoke, worship and serve.” Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 1, Question and Answer 2 calls us to “live and die in the joy of this comfort” and “to thank God for such deliverance.”