February 13
Reading: Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are but dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the LORD, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Psalm 103 is pure praise, with only a short pause to consider the transient nature of man. (vss. 15-16) These two verses serve mainly to emphasize the everlasting nature of the compassion and steadfast love of the Lord (hesed).
The psalm begins with a double “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” the second followed by “and forget none of His benefits.” Thus, verses 3-5 list five benefits that come from the Lord. All these benefits display the Lord’s goodness and mercy. So we bless Him.
Verses 6-18 form the body of the psalm and emphasize the steadfast love of Yahweh. The Hebrew word is hesed, which describes the love of God by which He chooses people to be His own, to reveal Himself to them, to make promises to them, to keep those promises, and to bring His people home to be with Him forever. God’s anger is not forever, but His hesed is forever. Because of the Lord’s hesed, He removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. (vs. 12)
How often do you meditate upon the steadfast love of the Lord? Or, do you just take it for granted, thinking “Of course the Lord is like that. That’s His job?” No. The most wonderful truth in all the universe is that the Sovereign Lord God who created everything is loving and merciful and keeps His promises forever. If not for this mighty truth, we would all despair. There would be no hope. But, the Lord is loving, patient, and kind. So we bless Him.
The psalm closes with a fourfold “Bless the Lord,” now including all His angelic armies and all creation. Finally, again, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”