Psalm 103:1-22 NIV
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.
I'm sorry but Psalm 103 is so packed with so many wonderful thoughts I couldn't shorten it. Here's all 22 verses above. The psalm is pure praise for the Lord and filled with hope for His people.
The psalmist calls upon his own soul to praise the Lord and remember the benefits that comes from God. These benefits include forgiveness, healing, rescue, love, compassion, good things for vitality, justice and righteous works on behalf of the oppressed.
The psalm celebrates the law of Moses for God revealed His righteousness through the law. God's mighty acts of salvation Moses recorded for later generations. The character of the Lord depicted in Psalm 103 is tender, merciful and understanding. His forgiveness is great. He doesn't remember our sins like He remembers His love for us. He puts our sins out of sight. His love lasts forever but His anger is only temporary. Even though our lives are short, the eternal God sustains us with hope in His goodness, even goodness extended to our descendants for generations to come.
The Lord reigns from heaven over all the earth. The psalm calls heavenly beings and all creation to join in praising the Lord.
Personal worship is an important aspect to the Christian life. Psalm 103 is a beautiful example of personal worship yet the worship of one becomes an invitation to all.
I think of the beloved hymn How Great Thou Art. This too is sung from a personal point of view yet it has helped millions of Christians worship the Lord.
"Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, How great Thou art! How great Thou art!"
How might your personal worship lead others to join your soul in praising the Lord? Share your faith and your soul's delight. Remember all the benefits of belonging to the church of Jesus Christ and celebrate daily in a life of worship, seeking to give God all the praise.
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