A recurring difficulty on our journey of life is becoming so focused on what we need at the moment that we forget what we already have. I was reminded of that when our church choir sang a beautiful anthem based on Psalm 103. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits†(v. 2 nkjv). The Lord is our forgiver, healer, redeemer, provider, satisfier, and renewer (vv. 4-5). How could we forget that? And yet we often do when the events of daily life shift our attention to pressing needs, recurring failures, and circumstances that seem out of control.
The writer of this psalm calls us to remember, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious . . . He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him†(vv. 8,10-11).
In our walk of faith, we come to Jesus Christ humbled by our unworthiness. There is no sense of entitlement as we receive His grace and are overwhelmed by the lavishness of His love. They remind us of all His benefits.
“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name†(v. 1).
Written by David, Psalm 103 celebrates who God is and what He has done for us. He is our King (v. 10), our Father (v. 13), and our Creator (v. 14). Calling us to praise God for His goodness and greatness, David reminds us of the many blessings God in His grace has given to us: forgiveness and healing (v. 3), deliverance (v. 4), provision and strength (v. 5), and protection (v. 6).
