Psalm 103 is a Psalm of David. He apparently wrote it during the last years of his life, after going through some illness or difficult situation. It should encourage and inspire us to see that David decides to remember all the goodness and mercies that God had for him through the years, instead of complaining and focusing on his suffering..
Let’s learn from him! Let’s try to take a few minutes each day to remember the goodness of God in our own lives and show our gratitude. God is good and his mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Let us examine the Psalm in detail and find out what our praise to God should be like.
How should we praise God?
Praise, my soul, the Lord; Let my whole being praise his holy name. Praise, my soul, the Lord, and do not forget any of the benefits of him.
(Psalm 103:1-2)
The Psalm begins with two powerful verses. David calls his soul to wake up and exhorts his whole being to praise God. How many times do we praise God with just our lips? We sing to it with our mouths while our minds are elsewhere. It must not be like that! True praise comes from the depths of our being and awakens our spirit, our body and our mind.
Praise leads us to recognize the holiness of our God and to yearn to be more like him. He is holy and calls us to be holy (1 Peter 1:14-16). How do we do it? Drawing closer to God and allowing him to transform us more and more according to his image.
“Don’t forget any of its benefits.” When we stop to remember and consciously list all the blessings that God has given us, our heart responds with adoration and gratitude for all the goodness of him. Let’s not be like those who only remember God when they need something. Let us be grateful children, with attentive and sensitive hearts when God moves in our day to day.
Why should we praise God?
The psalmist David goes on to list some of the reasons we have to praise God. Let’s look at each of them and think about how we can improve the way we praise and worship God.
For the blessings he gives us
He forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases; he rescues your life from the grave and covers you with love and compassion; He fills your life with good things and rejuvenates you like the eagles. The Lord does justice and defends all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses; he revealed his works to the people of Israel.
(Psalm 103:3-7)
In these verses David mentions some of the blessings that God gives us. he starts with the forgiveness of our sins because that is the greatest gift that God has given us. David knew well what it is to receive God’s forgiveness, how it impacts our life here and the power it has to transform us for eternity. Our spirit awakens knowing that it is forgiven and willingly submits to allow God’s work in all areas of life.
Look at these biblical examples of lives transformed by God’s forgiveness.
God not only heals us spiritually but also grants us the physical healing. He heals all our diseases either through his direct intervention or through medicine. We serve the almighty God and in him we can trust.
God rescued us from the grave, we don’t have to fear death. In Colossians 1:13 it says that he “delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.” His reign is one of love and compassion that he showers on us so that we will care and show his heart to the world around us.
Our bodies are renewed and receive new forces remembering the abundant goodness of God. When problems and difficulties come into our lives it is important to remember all that God has granted us, the many ways in which he has shown us his love and care. This memory renews our strength and rejuvenates our bones in such a way that sometimes it seems that we are able to fly over situations. That’s how strong is the peace and strength that God grants us! We have felt it in the past and we will continue to feel it because God is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He has been faithful and will continue to be.
God is fair and his justice is not only for us but for all the oppressed. Sometimes it seems that evil is winning, but God continues to move in this world and he defends those who suffer injustice and oppression. Let us be agents of blessing, let us bring his freedom and his justice to those who suffer from oppression. It may seem like too much of a task, but God will show us how to do it just as he showed his ways to Moses and revealed his works to the people of Israel.
Because of his attributes and the way he deals with us
The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and great in love. He doesn’t hold his grudge forever or hold a grudge forever. He does not treat us according to our sins or pay us according to our iniquities. As great is his love for those who fear him as high is heaven above the earth. He has cast our transgressions as far from us as the west is from the east. As compassionate is the Lord to those who fear him as a father is to his children. He knows our condition; he knows we are made of clay.
(Psalm 103:8-14)
God is merciful, he is compassionate and he is full of love. Contrary to us humans, he does not get carried away by anger or resentment or act unfairly. His anger comes slowly, controlled and giving us the opportunity beforehand to recognize his love and turn to him. And as soon as we do, he receives us and forgives us.
God does not allow our mistakes and sins to dictate how he treats us. His great love drives every act for his children and covers everything around us. God calls our attention so that we hear his sweet voice and live in obedience.
God’s compassion is like that of a father with his children. He always tries to see the good in us and remembers our human condition, our struggle between wanting and doing his will. God is patient with his children. He is attentive to our cry to welcome us into his arms of love and compassion.
for his eternal love
Man is like grass, his days bloom like the flower of the field: shaken by the wind, he disappears without a trace.
(Psalm 103:15-16)
But the love of the Lord is eternal and is always with those who fear him; His righteousness is with his children’s children, with those who keep his covenant and remember his precepts to do them.
(Psalm 103:17-18)
The reality is that our earthly bodies are finite. The strength and health we enjoy today can end at any time. The physical perishes like the grass and the flower of the field, but God’s love never ends It accompanies us in our lives here on earth and we will enjoy it in all its fullness for eternity.
Our gaze must be set on what is eternal. It is important to take care of our health, do our job well, enjoy our family and the activities that we like. But the most important thing should be be within the will of God and live lives of obedience to him.
Because God is King and deserves our praise
The Lord has established his throne in heaven; his reign rules over all.
(Psalm 103:19)
Praise the Lord, you his angels, champions who execute his word and obey his command. Praise the Lord, all his hosts, his servants who do his will. Praise the Lord, all the works of him in all areas of his dominion. Praise, my soul, the Lord!
(Psalm 103:20-22)
god reigns and David finishes the Psalm exhorting all creation to praise him. The angels, the heavenly armies, all mankind and everything he created must praise him today and forever.
And how can we not praise the almighty God who has been pleased to reign with so much love, compassion, mercy and justice? The logical response of our hearts to all his benefits should be praise. May not a single day go by in which we do not stop to praise and thank our God for all his goodness!
Receive encouragement as you read these verses with blessings we receive by faith.
Strengthen your faith by meditating on these Psalms: