Psalms Reading – 4.6.2022
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 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 harbor 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.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul.
David calls on his soul to give praise to God. Praise aids us in our memory for it calls us to remember who God is and what God has done. David gives us a long list of attributes and actions of how he has grown to know and love God.
God forgives our sins and heals our diseases. He saves us and showers His love and compassion upon us. He alone satisfies our deepest longing with good things so that we have renewed strength.
The Lord is constantly at work for the oppressed just as He did for Moses and the Israelites leading them out of bondage. In one of the most repeated verses in Scripture, God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounds in love. He does not repay us equally for the guilt of our sin. Out of His infinite love, He removes our sins from us by an immeasurable distance.
God’s natural relationship with us is a compassionate Father for He knows how frail we really are as His children. His covenant love continues for all who trust and obey Him. David ends his song by calling all of heaven and earth to praise the Lord for He is the King who rules over all.
If we need to be reminded for what we can praise the Lord, this psalm is a great place to begin.
Memory Verse: Psalm 103:11-12, 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.
Question(s) to Consider: For which of these attributes or actions will you offer praise today? What would you add to this list?