Psalm 103:1–5
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, A Psalm of David)
Of all the Old Testament saints, David is one of the more colorful personalities — a passionate shepherd, a mighty warrior, a charismatic king. Not only is he colorful, he is one of the most prolific Old Testament musicians, composing half of the Psalms, many of which praise the Lord for his great grace, love and mercy. No one lauds God — his omnipotence and his benevolence — more than King David. Even a cursory reading of the Psalms, Samuel and Kings yield a picture of a man with a big vision of God, both his personal attributes and his powerful handiwork.
In Psalm 103 David provides a pattern for prayerful worship. First he gives us a posture for worship — kneeling. The word “bless” or “praise” (as the NIV translates) is a word that means to kneel or to bow oneself. For David blessing/praising God is the act of bowing everything that is within him before the Lord, all of his heart, soul, mind and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5; Luke 10:27). He understood that God welcomes and exalts humble worshipers.
Second, David gives us a pattern for worship — remembrance. As he directs his heart to bless the Lord, he also commands his heart to remember just what the Lord has done for him. Why is that so important? I don’t know about you, but in my day-to-day living I tend to forget to remember the things God has done in my life. And when I forget the things God has done, my faith and trust for what God is doing and what God will do become a little cloudy. David’s praise prompts me to recall God’s faithfulness and goodness. Whether I pay attention to it or not, God is good all the time!
Finally, in Psalm 103, David gives us a promise for worship — grace and mercy. Many moons ago I heard a preacher define grace and mercy this way: Grace is getting something we do not deserve, and mercy is not getting something we do deserve. I don’t know if you have ever heard this definition, but it does ring true. In ways like us, David needed God’s grace and mercy. He describes his need with words human hearts still cry out for today: healing, redemption, love and abundant living. Maybe, David appreciated grace and mercy more that most because he needed it more than most; I don’t know. What I do know is that the older I grow the more I praise God for them, because the more I realize how dependent I am on them.
May I invite you to take some time this week to kneel before the Lord and remember his great promises to you!
