Psalm 103
David’s psalm celebrates what the Lord does for us and speaks again of God’s mercies to his people, Israel. These mercies are showered on us, in and through Jesus.
- We meditate on the goodness of God and how we ought to worship the Lord because of his goodness. David expressed this in the opening words, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
- David wanted to remind himself of all of God’s good qualities so he wouldn’t forget. Those good qualities included God’s forgiveness, healing, love, and mercy.
- God was constantly refreshing David. His relationship with God was the highlight of his life.
- David described God as a warrior fighting for the oppressed and a source of love who was slow to anger.
- Speaking of God’s mercy, he wrote, He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
- God doesn’t always give us what we deserve for our sins, which is a good thing! Like a father, he shows compassion to his children.
- God’s love is “from everlasting to everlasting” on those who keep his instructions.
- The Lord was enthroned in heaven, and David called on the angels, the hosts of heaven, and his own soul to bless the Lord forever.
As we meditate on Psalm 103, we note God’s anger and his judgement. How many times do we need God’s forgiveness? It’s impossible to count. Day after day, our sins should bring his anger. But, over and over again he removes our iniquities. Where are they sent? To the cross, where Jesus takes the anger and gives us compassion instead.
A quote from Martin Luther illustrates our benefits from God: Is something insignificant just because it happens every day? If the sun wouldn’t shine for ten days, suddenly it would be a great thing when it began shining again … If there were only one well in the world, I would imagine that a drop of water would be worth more than a thousand dollars.
Forgetting his blessings, we slip into what psychologists label “sensory deprivation”; not recognising God at work in everyday circumstances.
Let us counter our forgetfulness by singing 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redmon – lyrics based on Psalm 103 (rf) or the Hymn LHS 452 O bless the Lord my soul.
Prayer: “Bless the LORD, O my soul!” (v 1) I thank you for redeeming me from death so that I may join the angelic hosts in praising your holy name from everlasting to everlasting. Amen.
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