Bless the Lord!

Okay, you may be thinking after these few months of no posts (by the way, this was actually posted on New Year's Eve, the date just got messed up) that this one will at least have something to do with Christmas or New Year's, but it's not. The thought did cross my mind to write something about it, but because there was so much that I could write and I didn't have the time I wanted, I decided that you could read the Christmas story for yourself if you haven't already this year. As for this post, I was meaning to do it for Thanksgiving, but things got a little busy. But it's been on my mind for a while, especially since I memorized the chapter, and I think it's a pretty good psalm; so here it is.

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Psalm 103:1-22

[1] Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me,
bless His holy name.
[2] Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
[3] Who pardons all you iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
[4] Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness
and compassion;
[5] Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

[6] The LORD performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
[7] He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
[8] The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
[9] He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
[10] He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
[11] For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
[12] As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
[13] Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
[14] For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.

[15] As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
[16] When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
[17] But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from
everlasting to everlasting on those who fear HIm,
And His righteousness to children's children,
[18] To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.

[19] The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.
[20] Bless the LORD, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of HIs word!
[21] Bless the LORD, all you HIs hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
[22] Bless the LORD, all you works of His,
In all places of HIs dominion;
Bless the LORD, O my soul!


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First, you can probably tell that the focus of this Psalm is "Bless the Lord." The first blessing of God that David mentions is, "who pardons all your iniquities." Sometimes when I go through the chapter I have to actually stop and think about it: it's just so amazing that God would do it. The other things that God does for our souls are just as amazing, and you can see that He really is our Healer and Provider and He loves us enough to give all those good things to our souls. There is no wonder that our souls should bless the Lord because of His blessings and goodness to us, even when we fall into the pit.

The second part of Psalm 103 is pretty amazing, too. God has shown us His character; that He is "compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness." This part kind of makes me laugh when I hear that God was mean and unforgiving in the Old Testament--it's pretty much the opposite. David also gives the ultimate example of God showing this: His lovingkindness and forgiveness of sins. He hasn't punished us in the way we deserve; but rather, He has removed our sins from us, "As far as the east is from the west." Now that is awesome. I really find a lot of comfort in this Psalm, especially in the last verses here about His fatherly compassion and His knowledge that we are but dust. Although it is definitely not an excuse to sin, it is a comfort to know that He understands who we are and that He does give us compassion--that we don't deserve. God's grace to us is amazing.

This next part contrasts the lives of people and God's love. While people are here pretty much here today and gone tomorrow, God's love and righteousness lasts forever. It's just so cool how He is always going to be the good God He is, forever.

Verse 19 is really interesting, at least to me. By saying that "His sovereignty rules over all," it shows that He's not some wimp who decided He would be nice to us. He is the all-powerful God, and no one can get out from under His rule. It shows that He is awesome, which makes His forgiveness so much more amazing. The rest of the Psalm calls all to bless the Lord, from the greatest angel in heaven to the tiniest bug on earth; and of course, David's own soul.

I guess the reason that I wrote this other than to share a Psalm that I thought was really cool, is that I think that a lot of times we forget to bless the Lord. Even David had to remind His soul to do it. In the good times and the bad, a lot of us, including myself, tend to complain instead of praising God for who He is. He always loves us and blesses us, even in the worst circumstances. And if, say, you were sick, you can always remember that although your body may not be healed, God does heal the diseases of your soul, which is the most important part of you. There are so many reasons for us to praise the Lord, in His power, His love and forgiveness, His salvation, His blessings, and His works; and He is always who He is, no matter what you are going through. So as this year ends, and in all of the years to come, don't forget to bless the Lord.