The 103rd Psalm is a psalm of praise attributed to David, and was possibly written later in his life when he would have more of an appreciation for the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness. Probably one of the most well-known psalms, it has been put to music in hymns and contemporary styles alike. It is a wonderful call to worship, and should stir to gratitude even the backslidden believer who has forgotten what God has done for him. In his commentary, Charles Spurgeon stated the following, “As in the lofty Alps some peaks rise above all others so among even the inspired Psalms there are heights of song which overtop the rest. This one hundred and third Psalm has ever seemed to us to be the Monte Rosa of the divine chain of mountains of praise, glowing with a ruddier light than any of the rest. It is as the apple tree among the trees of the wood, and its golden fruit has a flavour such as no fruit ever bears unless it has been ripened in the full sunshine of mercy.”
As you read this Psalm, I would encourage you to read it in light of Jesus Christ and all that God has given us through Him. David is speaking of Jehovah, but the New Testament Scriptures clearly demonstrate that the Jesus of the New Testament and the Jehovah of the Old Testament are one in the same. The Apostle Paul wrote of Jesus, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” (2 Co 1:20)
David begins, “Bless the Lord, o my soul,” and the phrase “bless the Lord” means to abundantly bless or praise Jehovah, and to do so by kneeling. He was telling his soul to do this, which probably means he didn’t feel like doing it in the moment. If I have to tell myself to do something, it usually means I am struggling with wanting to do it. Sometimes, we don’t feel like praising God or at least to the degree that He deserves, but we need to tell ourselves to do so anyway. The posture of kneeling shows a humble adoration for the Lord. He said, “And all that is within me, bless His holy name!” David wanted his entire being to be involved in praising the Lord. This suggests not only a humble adoration, but an exuberance or excitement about it. One of the things the Lord has impressed upon me from reading and studying the Psalms is that the author’s worship was not a casual thing such as singing five songs on a Sunday morning, but a passionate praise in which they were intimately involved. He wanted to bless God’s holy name. Holy is to be set apart from sin, and in a world in which we can see evil going on around us at an ever-increasing pace, we should rejoice that we serve a God who is separate from all of it. Not only is He set apart from it, He sets us apart from it as well, and is returning one day soon to administer justice on this sinful world.
Next, he repeats the same phrase, and tells his soul to not forget all the Lord’s benefits. This one is huge, folks! In times of trial or hardship it can be easy to forget all that God has done for us. We become fixated on our own problems and how there doesn’t appear to be a solution on the foreseeable horizon, and ingratitude begins to set in. However, the Scriptures admonish us to “Do all things without complaining and disputing (arguing).” (Phil 2:14) Rather than complaining to or arguing with the Lord in those times, it’s important to stop and recall to our minds what He has done for us. The Scriptures state, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thes 5:18) It’s not that we cannot ask the Lord for something different or better for us and our families, but what is our attitude in doing so? Maybe we’re not grumbling and complaining, but maybe we’re worried or anxious about our circumstances. Again, Paul writes to the Philippians, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” We don’t need to worry or fret about things, for the Lord has everything under control. We just need to trust Him and bring our requests before Him with a thankful attitude.
What are the Lord’s benefits, you might ask? David first reminds himself that the Lord forgives all our iniquities. Iniquities speak to our sins, but it is more specific than that. It’s our perversities, or in other words, the worst of our sins. It’s those gross moral failures that we are ashamed even to admit that we did them. Maybe no one else knows we did them except for us and the Lord. No matter how bad the sin is, there is nothing we have done or ever can do that is too perverse for the Lord to forgive us in Christ. This alone should produce an immense amount of gratitude in us, and cause us to want to praise Jesus. Remember, He paid our sin debt in full on the cross; there’s nothing extra we have to do to atone for our sins. We merely have to confess our sins to Him and allow Him to forgive us as He says He will do.
The Lord heals all our diseases. This can be a challenging one to wrap our minds around, for we have all known godly individuals who have suffered immensely or even died from diseases. I believe the first thing we can take note of here is that iniquities and diseases are coupled together for a reason. We have sickness and disease because of sin in a general sense, and sometimes our own sins can directly cause disease. For example, unresolved bitterness and hatred can wreak havoc on our bodies through things like anxiety, hypertension, and stomach disorders, and repentance demonstrated through love and forgiveness can resolve these issues.
Second, there is no sickness or disease that is too difficult for the Lord to heal. He is an all powerful God who spoke the universe into existence, so our sicknesses and diseases are not a problem for Him. If you need healing, take it to the Lord in prayer. James writes, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.” (James 5:13-14) If your Church doesn’t believe in praying for healing, I would encourage you to find a Bible believing and teaching church that does. I cannot say whether or not the Lord will heal you, that is up to Him in His sovereignty to do what He thinks is best. What I can say is that we have not because we ask not, and maybe we’re missing out on healing because we don’t ask the Lord for it.
Third, promises like these not realized in this lifetime will be realized in eternity. Our spiritual restoration has been fully realized, but for whatever reason, God has seen fit to allow the physical part of His creation (including our bodies) to still be affected by the curse. Praise God, that will be restored one day as well, for we will all get new bodies, and there will be a new heaven and a new earth. The apostle John wrote, “’And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’” (Rev 21:4)
The third thing David reminds himself of is that the Lord redeems us from destruction. We were perverse, spiritually sick, and headed for hell, but the Lord has redeemed us (bought us back) from the slavery of sin and set us free. But that’s not all.
Fourth, He has crowned us with lovingkindness and tender mercies. God did not spare us from destruction because He had to, but He did it because He wanted to. He wanted to because He loved us. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” He didn’t even love us when we were good enough, but loved us greatly when we were spiritually dead in our trespasses and saved us by His grace.
Lastly, David reminds himself how the Lord has satisfied his mouth with good things. The Lord does not only care for our spiritual needs, but for our material needs as well. He cares that we are fed and clothed. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus said that we should not worry about what we would eat, for our heavenly Father feeds the birds of the air, and we are of much more value than them. Also, we are not to worry about our clothing, because God clothes the lilies of the field in greater splendor than King Solomon, and we are of much more value than them. (Mat 6:26-30)
He renews our youth like the eagles. Isaiah also picks up on this when he says, “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) As we wait on the Lord, He restores us to that vibrant strength that youths typically have.
David, under the inspiration of the Spirit, has packed a lot for us in these first five verses, but He is just getting started. In the remainder of the chapter he will further expound on the Lord’s benefits for us.
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