Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5
David knew the benefits of the Lord. He had been anointed to be king of Israel and from that time on, he had been pursued by his enemies. He had experienced the forgiveness of God when he sinned; he had been healed from his broken heart when he experienced the consequences of his sin with Bathsheba. He had been redeemed from the pit and had experienced the compassion and love of God through it all. “O my soul” is a conventional Hebrew way of addressing oneself. David looked into his soul and saw the love of God that had been poured in; he looked into the pit and saw that he was no longer there. He looked up and saw the hand of God who had been gracious and compassionate towards him.
Like David, we must praise the Lord for His benefits as He lifts us from the pits of life that we sometimes fall into. He heals, redeems, and satisfies our desires with good things. I wonder how many of us really believe this. Do we know God as the Redeemer who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love? (v.8)
He satisfies our desires with good things. (v. 5) This one verse alone is worth meditating on every day. God wants to give us the desires of our hearts! One of my favorite scriptures that reinforces this is Psalm 37: Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. The key to the benefits of God is trust; the key to achieving the desires of our heart is trust.
David trusted the Lord with all of his heart. When he killed the Philistine giant with a few pebbles and a sling, he knew that His God would prevail. As he recalled how God had been present in his life over the years he could say with assurance: Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Heavenly Father,
Praise the Lord, O my soul! You are my Redeemer and my Healer, and You satisfy my desires with good things. Help me to remember Your benefits and to always have a grateful heart.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
