David had his pen in hand. He was about to catalogue some of the many, many blessings of God that he had experienced. In fact, he was going to go full circle (see Psalm 103:1, 22).
But praise required preparation.
Our hearts, like David’s, seemingly inclined to hardness, must be stirred to properly take up praise.
If he was anything, David was a student of his heart.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2 KJV) is how David began to stir his heart to praise. What were those benefits (and ours as believers)?
• Forgives all your iniquities;
• Heals all your diseases;
• Redeems you from the pit;
• Crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies (crown is to encircle for attack or protection);
• Satisfies you with good things; thus, you are renewed!
Then, after reflecting on some of the experienced benefits of a relationship with the Lord, David continued his praise by fluently sharing God’s compassion:
• The Lord works righteousness and justice;
• The Lord is merciful and gracious;
• The Lord’s love is: as high as the heavens are above the earth, as far as the east is from the west (in separate sins), as a father shows compassion on his children.
Through it all David concluded the Lord remembered all his (and, thus, our)
• Frailties;
• Failures;
• Weaknesses;
• Sin.
And yet the Lord still, in going full circle:
• Forgives all our iniquities;
• Heals all our diseases;
• Redeems us from the pit;
• Crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
• Satisfies with good things; thus, we are renewed!
Praise be to our Lord!
Psalm 103
Praise for the Lord’s Mercies
A Psalm of David
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
9 He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14 For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
18 To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
22 Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
