August 18, 2022

Praise the Lord, my soul;
  all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
  and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
  and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
  and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
  so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord works righteousness
  and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
  his deeds to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
  slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
  nor will he harbor his anger forever;
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;
as far as the east is from the west,
  so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
  so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
  he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
  they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
  and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
  the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
  and his righteousness with their children’s children—
with those who keep his covenant
  and remember to obey his precepts.
The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
  and his kingdom rules over all.
Praise the Lord, you his angels,
  you mighty ones who do his bidding,
  who obey his word.
Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
  you his servants who do his will.
Praise the Lord, all his works
  everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, my soul.

Psalm 103

Devotional

In Psalm 103, the Psalmist desires to be grateful for all God has done and reminds himself over and over again to “Praise the Lord” for all of God’s blessings. Roy Clements, pastor of Eden Baptist Church in Cambridge, England explains: “He is cataloguing the goodness of God; enumerating his blessings, lest in a moment of depression or backsliding, he should forget the source of his prosperity and take God’s grace for granted.”

Do any of you remember the old Sunday School Song, “Count your Blessings”?

“Count your blessings; name them one by one. Count your blessings; see what God has done. Count your blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings; see what God has done.”

This old hymn, sung by many of us to little ones for decades, highlights what the Psalmist is doing as he counts and names his blessings to remember what God has done.

In Psalm 103, everything within the Psalmist praises the Lord. His list of praise is extensive. He acknowledges blessings of what God has given to him: forgiveness, healing, redemption, love and compassion. He highlights the blessings of what God is like: he is gracious and just, slow to anger, does not accuse, and does not hold a grudge.

When I read the Exodus story of God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt, I wonder how in the world God’s people could complain like they did when God had just delivered them from literal death. How quickly they forgot what God had done and who he is. And then, all too quickly, I remember my ridiculous behavior when I complain that Dunkin Donuts was out of English muffins and only had croissants or the gas pump I pulled up too was actually out of service, or the Chick-Fil-A line is always too long.

God has done so much for me, yet I can so easily find the smallest things to complain about. So often—too often—I forget God’s blessings and my praise is half-hearted. David commands his soul to praise the Lord and to remember what God is like. We are inclined to grumble about our circumstances; however, this Psalm reminds us to praise God for the blessings he has given to us and shown to us through his character.

For Reflection

Do you find yourself complaining?

What can you praise God for today?

How could you praise God using everything within you?

Prayer

Gracious God, Keep our eyes fixed on you, and help us always remember the blessings you generously give to us. You fill our earthy lives with more than we could ask or imagine, and through your son, Jesus Christ, you have blessed us with the greatest blessing—salvation in your name. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.