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by elizabethaudet

by elizabethaudet

Psalm 103:1-22

Psalm 103 is thought to have been written in David's old age, summarizing God's dealing with David. It is one of the church favorites. There are five definite benefits listed in this chapter. The rest of the chapter breaks down these five to finer detail. The five are: Forgiveness; Healing; Redemption; Crowning; and Satisfaction. "Forget not all His benefits" is sound reasoning for including this Psalm in our PRAISE & WORSHIP section. Next let's remember David's focus on what God had given him, not what He had taken away. David never regretted things to which God had said no!
   David's dream was to build a temple for God in Jerusalem, but God had said, "NO!" This was not to be built by a man of war, which David had been; but a man of peace. David was a key part of the preparation for peace by his many victories in battle. God's plan for David was different. We are to fit into God's plan as His plan is best. God did not accuse David of creating the wars, but David was God's Warrior against the enemies of Israel. (2 Chronicles 6:8-"You did well that it was in your heart."). We need to fit God's plan in our lives-His call on our life!
So we read David's exhortations of Psalm 103:1-5-(NKJV)-"Bless the Lord, O my soul;"
(Not just my mouth, nor my lips, but something deeper, my soul. He emphasized this when he said, "And all that is within me, BLESS HIS HOLY NAME!" (God is the source of our blessings. Our entire being from deep within must BLESS GOD WITH PRAISE! How can we bless God? The word "bless" means "to make happy, to consecrate, or to praise. So we Praise Him and He is Blessed to receive our Praise.). (Read Psalm 104:1, 35b; 146:2)
   Verse 2 of Psalm 103 says, "Bless the Lord, O My Soul, and forget not all His benefits." As the Psalmist, let's go back to the Soul again. (In Hebrew this word is "Nephesh". It occurs 750 times in the Bible. It covers 3 categories in the human being: 1. The life force-Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:11, 14; 2.The immaterial being, seat of intellect and emotions-Psalms 42:1-2; 86:4; 1 Samuel 1:10; Proverbs 23:7; and 3. An individual or person -Psalm 84:2; Genesis 2:7; Ezekiel 18:4; "You shall Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength"-Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Joshua 22:5)
   Now we are into the "forget not all His benefits." These benefits are:
1. "Who forgives all your iniquities," (Psalm 30:8; Romans 6:10; Mark 3:28; 11:26; our foremost need-"all that is within us"- our sins. After that, the way is open for the rest)
2. "Who heals our diseases," (Exodus 15:26; Mark 1:34; Matthew 10:8; James 5:14; Physical needs of my own- When I came to Jesus He saved me and automatically healed me of epilepsy. Without my even asking! What a God of Truth and Faithfulness. Hallelujah!)
3. "Who redeems your life from destruction," (Ephesians 1:7; Galatians 3:13; Revelations 5:9; All we ever did Jesus made Himself responsible for. We are redeemed from the consequences of sin. Let Him have control!)
4. "Who crowns US with loving kindness and tender mercies," (Psalm 5:12-13; James 1:12; One of the duties of the priests was to stand every morning and praise the Lord and likewise at evening-1 Chronicles 23:30; So begin each day with Praise and end it with Praise; 1Peter 5:4; 2 Timothy 4:8)
5. "Who satisfies your mouth with good things," (Here we find God promises the necessary food, and even more that it will taste good. When we Pastored in Maine, we were sent by God to revive a church which was almost ready to close. We took the challenge with no salary as the congregation was mostly people with almost no income. However, one lady brought us eggs and butter, another brought us a dessert once a week, another brought our Sunday dinner all prepared and even put it on or in my oven to keep it warm. All I had to do was set the table and we could eat. We had three children also but God provided for them also. The church later asked us to post a grocery list and they filled it regularly even to extend my basic needs beyond what I asked! A food tithe was all they could do. God gave us even my wishes which I never expressed to anyone! God is a great God and worthy of our praise!)
Read Psalm 11:5; John 7:37; John 6:35, 47-51.
6. "So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Isaiah 40:31; Psalms 37:4; 107:9)
We have covered our basic needs very well by our trust in Him, as we are not the solution to all our needs; He is the power behind our lives and all our needs! But that is not all He goes on showing His great power and guidance in Psalm 103:6-10-(NCV):
1. "The Lord does what is right and fair for all who are wronged by others." (JUSTICE!)
And if you have any doubts, remember the next thing listed that God did:
2. "He showed His Ways to Moses and His deeds to the people of Israel." (Here it is! The proof of the pudding is in the eating! God proved Himself to Moses and Israel by His deeds; Psalm 147:19-Jacob and Israel; Exodus 7:1-5; by ten plagues from Exodus 7:14 through 10:32)
3. "The Lord shows mercy and is kind." (Psalm 86:15-17)
4. "He does not become angry quickly and He has great love." (Exodus 34:6-7; Romans 5:18-20; 2 Peter 3:9)
5. "He will not always accuse us, and He will not be angry forever." (Psalm 30:5)
6. "He has not punished us as our sins should be punished; He has not repaid us for the evil we have done." (Ezra 9:13; Adam was created a perfect man but sin destroyed that. The price of sin was the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son. Only a person like Christ could atone for the sin of man as man was a human and God was divine! Christ combined both for us redeeming the human back to the divine. He raised us up by giving His blood for the price of sin. Our transgressions are removed when we confess them to God and accept His forgiveness through Jesus His Son. We have been REDEEMED BACK TO GOD.)
   David next gave a comparison of the distance from earth to heaven. Psalm 103:11-14-(TEV)-"As high as the sky is above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him." (Micah 7:19)
David then makes a second comparison of God's Love- "As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our sins from us." (Isaiah 38:17; 43:25-He wipes them out of His own memory; There is no way to compare the mortal and the immortal when it comes to His Love and to our sins.)
"As Kind as a Father to his children, so the Lord is kind to those who fear Him." (Malachi 3:17-as jewels, precious is His opinion of us. How humbling that He cares so much for us!
"He knows what we are made of; He remembers that we are dust." (Nobodies made somebodies through Christ, God's Heavenly Fatherly provision. He reconstructs us from the dust to His Children if we submit to Him as Our Father who is in Heaven!)
   Psalm 103:15-19-(CEB)-David relates what is written is vital to our human life. A big comparison of life eternal and death. "The days of a human life are like grass: they bloom like a wildflower;" ( 1 Peter 1:24-25-"All flesh is as grass...but the Word of God endure forever..."; Deuteronomy 30:19; 1 Kings 1:12)
"But when the wind blows through it, it's gone; even the ground where it stood doesn't remember it." (Isaiah 40:7; Job 7:7-10)
"BUT THE LORD'S FAITHFUL LOVE IS FROM FOREVER AGO TO FOREVER FROM NOW, FOR THOSE WHO HONOR HIM." (Psalm 147:11-mercy)
"And GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS REACHES TO GRANDCHILDREN OF THOSE WHO KEEP HIS COVENANT AND REMEMBER TO KEEP HIS COMMANDS." Deuteronomy 7:6-9)
"THE LORD HAS ESTABLISHED HIS THRONE IN HEAVEN AND HIS KINGDOM RULES OVER ALL." (Daniel 4:17, 25-His is the final rule but it is reliant on the decision we make for our own lives. His will or our own! We choose to serve God with all our hearts and He rules from His throne!). He has established His throne literally fixed, and established firmly! No power in heaven or earth can move it or destroy it or rob it of its Glory! God uses rebellion of humans to bring about His Will as Isaiah 10:5-7 proves this. So does the Exodus Story of Israel's slavery in Egypt; their release after years of slavery in which God used Pharaoh's rebellion against him to bring to pass His will.
   Psalm 103:20-22-(TLB)-"Bless the Lord, YOU mighty angels of His who carry out His orders, listening for each of His commands." (Heaven first! Psalm 148:1-6; Matthew 6:10)
" Yes, Bless the Lord YOU armies of His angels who serve Him constantly." (Hebrews 1:14- this is their assignment on the job.)
"Let everything everywhere BLESS THE LORD." (No one is excluded in heaven or earth. Now David got down to earth where God's creation are encouraged or even commanded to BLESS THE LORD GOD!)
   The Grand Finale was when David said emphatically, "AND HOW I BLESS HIM TOO!"
(Now David gets to himself, He also , even as King of Israel is responsible to bless God.)
BLESSING GOD FOR HIS POWER AND GLORY FOREVER IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
BLESS THE LORD, MY SOUL, AND ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME, BLESS HIS HOLY NAME!

   Next time...