Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5
What do we need to do on this expedition, this journey through life? The introduction to the Psalms says (1) we need God’s Word and (2) we need to make him Lord. David’s Psalm 103 is pure worship. All of life comes down to worshipping the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The first commandment says, “you shall have no other gods before me,” (Exodus 20:3). Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength” (Matthew 2:37). In Psalm 103 there are no cries for help, or pleas for deliverance. This Psalm is all about God and his great blessings.
God’s desire is for us to walk with him and worship him alone. King David struggled big time with sin yet God called him a man after His own heart. We can’t walk with God without worshipping him and growing as a worshipper. David grew in his worship of God in spirit and in truth. The Psalms express this with his reverence and love for God in verse after verse. He knew he was a sinner, and He knew God was his Lord. Yet David’s heart was filled to overflowing with thanks, praise and worship in response.
We are coming to the Thanksgiving holiday. What if there are presently circumstances and relationships that are getting you down? Maybe you don’t feel like you have anything to be grateful about. It may not be easy, but focusing on the goodness of God brings perspective, hope, and confidence that he is with us and is working all things for good. Seeing helps us experience. If we look for and focus on God, we will experience his love, joy and peace and be able to see past the heartaches and struggles. Using David’s examples, write a list of how God has forgiven your sin, healed your diseases, redeemed your life from the pit, crowned you with steadfast love and mercy, and satisfied you with good. Let worship flow in response and your heart will be renewed.
By Donna Burns
