Do not Forget

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Scripture: 103:1-5 (ESV)

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.

 

Devotion:

 

            The psalm we are meditating on today offers some practical advice for living a happy, godly life. This passage starts out declaring the goodness of the Lord. Repetition of the phrase “bless the Lord” makes the case that we are to praise the Lord with, as is written in Deuteronomy, with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. The verb translated bless is an imperative verb, a command to bless the Lord.

           

            David, the psalmist, then asks us to remember all the good things that the Lord has done for us. God does all the things listed here for us solely by His grace. We have done nothing to earn all the good that the Lord does for us. Therefore, the invitation to Bless the Lord from our inmost self is even more urgent and necessary.

 

            What are the things that David proclaims that the Lord has done for us? He has, first and perhaps most importantly, forgiven all our sin. Our sin debt if unforgiven would land us in eternal separation from God. It is a debt that is so huge there is nothing we can do to earn forgiveness and the right to be with the Lord in heaven. The psalmist could never have foreseen the actions which God took centuries later in the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ to pay in full the sin debt of the world. Our praise for the forgiveness of sins must be even more intense since we know how great a salvation we have obtained.

 

            Healing our diseases appears to be a false claim on the surface. However, each of us has been or will be extremely sick and we will die. While God always works to heal our bodies. Our bodies not healed in this life we have confidence that it will be healed in the next. David believed that God redeemed all who love and serve the Lord will be saved from eternal death. We will all be crowned with steadfast love and mercy in this life and with Christ in heaven. Lastly, we will be presented with goodness in this life, and we can be renewed and made young again by the power of God.

 

Prayer:

            Let us bless the Lord together. Let us sing praises to his holy name. Help us to remember constantly the great and mighty things that our God has done for us. Help us always keep our minds filled with love and praise for our creator, redeemer, and friend. Amen. 

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