Psalm 103 verses1-12 (NIV)
Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
⁶ The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbour his anger forever;
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
This is quite a long portion of scripture, but as I went through the verses, and they spoke to my heart, I felt the portion needed to be shared in its entirety.
David encourages his own soul to praise the Lord and not to forget all He had done. What struck me about these verses is just how much David understood about the miracle of God’s redemption plan, that would come through his family line by the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Davis talks of God’s redemption even although we don’t deserve it. He also talks about the impact of God’s removing our transgressions from us. We get a real sense in this psalm of the amazement and wonder David felt that God would do such a thing for sinners such as us. I caught his sense of it and consider just how often I take the time to do just what David encourages his own soul to do. To give thanks and rejoice in the goodness and grace of God.
These few verses sum up the good news of the Gospel before the coming of Jesus, and confirm to us what God had planned for us since the fall. That’s awesome, and worthy of taking the time to give God worship and thanks.
Dear Lord,
When I read these verses I am in wonder again at Your goodness and grace. Thank You for not dealing with me as my sins deserve because Jesus took that punishment for me. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.