Psalm 103 contains no requests. It is pure praise from start to finish. David talks to his own soul and tells it to bless the Lord with everything inside him. Then he lists reasons, one after another, like someone counting blessings out loud. Gratitude is easy to lose. Busy schedules, worries and complaints crowd it out. As the year draws toward its end, this psalm is a perfect place to stop, look back and remember how good God has been.
Forget Not His Benefits
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits (Psalm 103:1-5). David knew how forgetful the human heart can be. So he names the benefits: God forgives all our iniquities, heals our diseases, redeems our life from destruction, crowns us with lovingkindness and satisfies our mouth with good things. Moses warned Israel that when they had eaten and were full, they must bless the Lord and not forget Him (Deuteronomy 8:10-11). Comfort can make us forgetful. When Jesus healed ten lepers, only one came back to say thank you, and Jesus asked where the other nine were (Luke 17:15-17). Gratitude does not happen by accident. We have to remind ourselves. Forgiveness is listed first because it is the greatest gift of all, the one that makes every other blessing possible.
What five benefits from God this year will you write down and thank Him for, one each day, either as a family or on your own?
Mercy Beyond Measure
David describes God the way God described Himself: merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy (Psalm 103:8-14). The Lord had proclaimed these words to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:6). God does not treat us as our sins deserve. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sins. You can travel north and eventually start heading south, but east and west never meet. Micah says God casts all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:18-19). Then David adds a tender line: as a father pities his children, the Lord pities those who fear Him. He remembers that we are dust. God knows our weakness and loves us anyway.
What forgiven sin do you keep digging back up in your mind, and which verse from this psalm will you hold onto this week to leave it where God has put it?
Grass and Everlasting Love
David turns to the shortness of life (Psalm 103:15-22). Our days are like grass. We flourish like a flower of the field, then the wind passes over it and it is gone. That is a sober truth, especially at the end of a year. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness reaches our children’s children. Isaiah says the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8). Peter quotes those words and says this enduring word is the gospel preached to us (1 Peter 1:24-25). The psalm ends by calling angels, heavenly hosts and all God’s works to bless the Lord. Then David returns to where he began: Bless the LORD, O my soul.
How will you pass God’s faithfulness on to the next generation this week, perhaps by telling a child or grandchild one story of His mercy in your life?
Conclusion
Psalm 103 teaches our souls to remember. We remember God’s benefits, starting with forgiveness. We remember His mercy, which removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. And we remember that while our lives are short, His love is everlasting. All these blessings come to us through Jesus, whose cross shows the full height of God’s mercy. Before this year ends, join David and the angels: bless the Lord, O my soul.
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