Bless the Lord, O My Soul
Psalm 103
The Upward Look
© Copyright 2005, Max D. Hutto,
“Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name.” Psalm 103:1 NASB
When you bless someone you tell about what that person has done or what that person is like. We are commanded to bless the Lord. We must speak about what He has done and about who He is. We must bless Him not only with our voice but with all that is within us. Our thoughts, actions, and our whole life must praise Him. Even our bodies must bring glory to God.
Lord Jesus, You as so amazing and awesome. Help me to bring You glory with all that I am.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits.” Psalm 103:2 NASB
David repeats the command for the people to bless the Lord. They are to praise God for all He has done for them and for all He has given to them. God has done so many marvelous things for His people. However, people are prone to forget. Memories slip out of their conscious mind. They focus on today and not on what God has done in the past. David calls them to remember, to think back about all the Lord has given them.
Lord Jesus, You have done so much for me. You have given me wonderful and abundant life here and hereafter. Lord, I praise You!
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits. Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases.” Psalm 103:2-3 NASB
David calls God’s people to praise the Lord for God has pardoned their iniquities. God has made a way for sinful people to be forgiven of all their sins. Sin carries a death penalty. All who commit a sin deserve to die an eternal death. However, God has provided a pardon through the blood of Jesus shed on Calvary’s cross. Those who accept this pardon receive eternal life in Christ Jesus.
Lord Jesus, how can I express my thankfulness in being pardoned from death and being granted eternal life with You? I can tell someone else today how they too can be pardoned from all their iniquities.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits. Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases.” Psalm 103:2-3 NASB
David calls God’s people to praise the Lord for God heals their diseases. The body is subject to diseases because of sin. In Heaven there is no more sin and thus no more disease, no more sickness, no more pain, no more crying. On Earth, there is sin and disease. Yet, even on Earth, God gives us a glimpse of what Heaven will be like when He heals diseases.
Lord Jesus, I thank You for Heaven and for Your ultimate healing. I also thank You for giving me another day to live here on Earth.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits. . . . Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion.” Psalm 103:2,4 NASB
David calls God’s people to praise the Lord for God has redeemed them from destruction in the pit. The pit was used as a place of punishment and death. Joseph was thrown into a pit and left to die by his brothers. But he was redeemed when one brother pulled him out of the pit and sold him into slavery. Redemption always involves paying a price for the item being redeemed. All people are doomed because of sin to destruction in the pit. Jesus paid the price for our sin on Calvary’s cross. God redeems all who will accept His offer of salvation.
Lord Jesus, I stand amazed at the great price You paid to redeem me. Thank You for saving my soul.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits. . . . Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion.” Psalm 103:2,4 NASB
David calls God’s people to praise the Lord for God has crowned them with His love. When a crown is placed on a person’s head, the crown symbolizes the honor and power of the position that person has been given. God has chosen and crowned His people with great love and mercy. He bestows on them the crown of love that remains constant no matter the circumstances and the crown of mercy that is concerned for the needs of others. Like a crown on the head of royalty, love and mercy are worn by God’s people.
Lord Jesus, I am awestruck by Your love and mercy to me. Help me to display Your love and compassion to the people I meet today.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits. . . . Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” Psalm 103:2,5 NASB
The phrase, “your youth is renewed like the eagle,” could draw from many aspects of the eagle. The eagle can almost without effort soar high in the sky gaining strength from the winds. The eagle, like other birds, molts each year shedding its old feathers and growing new ones. The old eagle sometimes develops a growth on its bill that eventually prevents him from eating. It must hit its bill on a stone to break off the growth. Then it can eat and renew its youthfulness. Whichever meaning David had in mind as he wrote this psalm, he calls God’s people to praise the Lord for God gives good things to His people that brings satisfaction to their lives.
Lord Jesus, my life is full of meaning and purpose because of You. Even when the circumstances of life press in around me, You bring contentment and joy to my life.
“The LORD performs righteous deeds, And judgments for all who are oppressed.” Psalm 103:6 NASB
The Lord will do what is right. He is concerned about those who have been wronged. God will act as the righteous judge. Justice will be served on those who oppress others. God is concerned about the poor and needy. God heard the cry of His helpless people when they were in Egypt. He rescued them from slavery and brought them into the Promised Land. God is to be praised because He is righteous and just.
Lord Jesus, You have great compassion for those who cannot help themselves. Help me to show that compassion by doing something today that will help others and cause them to praise You.
“He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.” Psalms 103:7 NASB
The children of Israel saw God’s acts. They saw the miracles God did as He freed them from Egypt and led them through the wilderness. They saw His methods and received His provisions. Moses saw past God’s deeds and saw His ways. He knew more about the nature and character of God. Moses experienced God not just His actions. God is to be praised because He reveals Himself to His people.
Lord Jesus, I long to be closer to You, not just seeing Your actions, but getting to know You. Change me that others may see Your ways in my life and be drawn to You, my Savior and Lord.
“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.” Psalms 103:8 NASB
God is compassionate. He is concerned for others. He is deeply aware of and feels sympathy for people. He is merciful in not handing out judgment on sin. God is gracious. He generously gives even though we do not deserve His gifts. God is slow to anger. He is longsuffering, patiently waiting, giving sinners time to repent before showing His great wrath. God is abounding in lovingkindness. His great love is steadfast and unmovable.
Lord Jesus, I stand amazed at Your great character of love, mercy, grace, and judgment. Let my life be filled with these great character traits in order that I can tell someone today that they can find forgiveness and salvation in You.
“He will not always strive with us; Nor will He keep His anger forever.” Psalms 103:9 NASB
While God is slow to anger (verse 8), like a good Father, He will discipline His children. He will strive, scold, chide, rebuke, and accuse His children who are doing wrong. His desire is to correct not to punish. Therefore, when the child has repented and turned from his sin, God will not continue to be angry. He does not hold a grudge. God shows His great mercy by readily forgiving the repentant child.
Lord Jesus, I am amazed at Your great mercy and grace that ultimately was demonstrated by taking the punishment for my sins on Calvary’s cross. Thank You for making me aware my sin and turning me back to following Your way.
“He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” Psalms 103:10 NASB
We have rebelled against God and not obeyed His commands. We have bent and then broken His laws. We are guilty. Because of our sins, we deserve severe punishment and eternal separation from God. However, God does not punish us as we deserve. He does not give us the payment for our sins. Instead, God deals in great mercy and grace. He desires that we repent and return to Him.
Lord Jesus, I am amazed at Your great mercy and grace demonstrated to me by Your taking the punishment for my sin on Calvary’s cross. Help me today that by my actions others will see that I have turned from sin to following You.
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:11 NASB
Here the psalmist David compares God’s love with the expanse of the heavens. Even the scientists have not been able to determine how high the heavens, the universe, extends. God’s love is unmeasurable! Who does He love? Those who “fear Him,” which means those who reverence, respect, and honor Him.
Lord Jesus, I bow to You in awe of how great Your love for us is, that love demonstrated on Calvary’s cross. Help me to share that love with those I meet today.
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalms 103:12 HCSB
If you start out due east, you will never be going west. You can go due east all the way around the world and you will never be going west. East and west never meet. God in His great love has separated His people that for from their sins. When we accept His great gift of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ, our sins are completely forgiven.
Lord Jesus, thank You for forgiving my sins by Your blood shed on Calvary’s cross. Help me this day to share Your forgiveness with others.
“As a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:13 HCSB
A good father has great compassion, love, and pity for his children. He tenderly cares for them in their weakness and in their time of need. When they hurt, he hurts with them. A good father guides his children to become all they can be. He teaches them how to do their best. God is the good Father to His children. His children are those who fear Him, who reverence Him, who are in awe of Him, and who trust and obey Him. God is concerned and cares for His children.
Lord Jesus, You showed Your great love on Calvary’s cross by giving Your life so that I could have a personal relationship with You. Help me today to show others Your love through my words and my deeds.
“For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.” Psalms 103:14 NASB
God created humans. We did not evolve from some other animal. God formed humans from the dust of the ground. He is the potter who took the clay and made man. He knows what we are made of physically, mentally, emotional, and spiritually. He knows we are weak and insignificant in comparison to Him. Yet, He has great compassion for us.
Lord Jesus, I am just a frail human yet You are concerned about me. I am amazed that You cared enough about me to take human form and die on Calvary’s cross.
“As for man, his days are like grass — he blooms like a flower of the field; when the wind passes over it, it vanishes, and its place is no longer known.” Psalms 103:15-16 HCSB
Life is very short in comparison to eternity. A man’s life is like the grass that grows only for a season and then dies. He may flourish with great beauty like the flower, but soon the winds of adversity will blow. The flower is torn apart by the wind. It quickly withers and soon you cannot tell that it had ever been alive.
Lord Jesus, my life on earth is brief. Help me to make a difference in the lives of others by sharing about eternal life that is available through faith in You.
“But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children.” Psalms 103:17 NASB
While man’s life is brief, God’s love is forever. His love and mercy have no beginning and no end. They are a part of His nature, His character. God is eternal, no beginning and no end. His love is bestowed on those who fear Him, who reverence and respect Him. God is just and righteous and will keep giving His love and mercy to each generation as they trust Him.
Lord Jesus, nothing can separate me from Your great love, which You demonstrated on Calvary’s cross by paying the price for my sin. Help me to tell others, who need to trust You as their personal Savior and Lord, about Your great love.
“To those who keep His covenant, And who remember His precepts to do them.” Psalm 103:18 NASB
God’s great love, mercy, and righteousness are poured out on those who obediently follow His commands. Believers make a covenant promise with God when they place their faith in Him for salvation. Part of that promise is doing what God commands. Yet, we have a tendency to forget and to focus on the events of the day. We constantly need to be reminded of God’s commands. We must daily study the Bible and pray. We regularly need to hear His Word preached, taught, and discussed. Then, we ought to do what the Word says.
Lord Jesus, fill my life with Your Word. Help me to obediently do as You command.
“The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” Psalms 103:19 HCSB
The Lord God is the sovereign ruler! He is the King who has all dominion, power, and authority over all persons, beings, and nature. He sovereignly rules over all the universe, over all creation. No one placed Him on the throne. He is King because of who He is. By God’s great power, His throne is established, fixed, firmly placed, and immovable in heaven.
Lord Jesus, I stand amazed at Your great power and majesty. I bow before You in surrender to Your Kingship over my life.
“Praise the Lord, all His angels of great strength, who do His word, obedient to His command.” Psalm 103:20 HCSB
David has been writing about how we are to praise the Lord and to obey His Word. He now tells of how the mighty and powerful angels praise the Lord. The angels, who do whatever God commands, are faithful to bless the Lord. They continually give Him glory and honor and praise.
Lord Jesus, I pray that I would learn from the example of the angels and be obedient to Your Word. My life would then praise and glorify You.
“Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will.” Psalm 103:21 NASB
All of God’s hosts are to praise the Lord. The hosts cannot be named because there are so many of them. All of this great number are to praise the Lord. Those who serve God, who minister to Him and for Him, are to praise the Lord. They serve by doing God’s will. They are obedient in carrying out God’s purpose and plan. Thus, they praise the Lord.
Lord Jesus, as the great hosts praise You by obediently serving You, let me praise You by doing Your will. Help me to honor You this day with all I do.
“Bless the LORD, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the LORD, O my soul!” Psalm 103:22 NASB
Everyone and everything will praise the Lord. All of God’s works in every place will bless Him. Every creature and even the rocks will break forth in praise to the King who rules over all the universe. Nevertheless, my soul must praise the Lord because of all He has done and because of who He is.
Lord Jesus, I will add my voice to all of creation in praise to You. Let all that I think, say, and do give You honor, glory, and praise.
Last modified April 23, 2005.
Psalm 103
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