Bible Studies

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WHO DO WE PRAISE?

Psalm 103:1-5 (NKJV) A Psalm 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 iniquities; who heals all your diseases; (4) who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies; (5) who satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

This group of verses is attributed to David by some scholars; others are uncertain just who the author was. But the purpose of this passage is very clear. It is praise. It may have been written for the original author’s own personal devotion. But this inspirational passage is also a guide for all those who might read or hear these timeless words. It is praise to the One from whom all blessings flow.

What does the writer mean when he says “Bless the LORD?” Is there anything that the LORD needs or cannot have whenever He desires it? If we look up the Hebrew word for bless, which is barak, we find it means to kneel as an act of adoration, to praise, to salute, to still, and to thank. These things we should do every day. God does desire His holy name to be exalted, and we are completed when we love Him and worship Him with all our heart and all our soul and all our strength (Deut 6:4).

Bless the LORD, O my soul: What exactly is a soul? And all that is within me? The word used in this verse is the same word that is used at the creation of man in Genesis 2:7. “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” That complete living being made of a material (or bodily) part and an immaterial (or spiritual) part is the soul referred to here. And the phrase, ‘O my soul’ is used twice. Perhaps this emphasis means that not only the spiritual side of us needs to worship God. We need to put our hearts into it, along with our knees, and maybe even get on our faces, humbled before God. This writer is telling us about getting alone with God and spending some time adoring Him.

Each of these next statements begins with the word ‘Who.’ Five times the word ‘who’ is used and every time it is referring to the LORD. The LORD gives us so many benefits; we need to think of all these when we praise Him. The name of God used in this passage is the self-existent, eternal I AM; Jehovah. When we praise Him, we also ought to ponder His majesty and mystery. It is an amazing thing, that the God of heaven takes notice of us, and desires a relationship with such creatures as we are.

Who forgives all our iniquities. Through the gracious gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, all our sins are forgiven (Col 1:14). This is the greatest benefit, and it is listed first so that we do not become complacent and forget this greatest blessing. He has already forgiven all the sins we have ever committed and will ever commit. Truly, we have been given amazing grace.

Who heals all our diseases. Does this mean all our disease is taken away (Is 53:5 “by His stripes we are healed”)? Obviously not, for most of us have something wrong with our physical bodies; even Paul had his mysterious thorn. We all do grow older and we will eventually die. However, sometimes God does bring healing that is miraculous. And He has given us doctors and medicine and scientific research so that we can find more healing. But God also heals us spiritually. No matter what our condition in this life, only He can give us peace and strength to live a full and meaningful life. He makes us whole.

Who redeems our lives from destruction. What does this mean? Is every life on the brink of destruction and ruin? In the eternal sense, this is certainly true. But the LORD has redeemed or paid the price for our sin and saved us from utter ruin that would last for eternity. And in this life, when we are headed for disaster through misguided actions, we have the Holy Spirit who will remind us of the choices we should be making. And we have a loving Father waiting for our return whenever we veer off course.

Who crowns us with loving-kindness and tender mercies. Have you ever felt His love encircle you? Have you ever known you deserved just what was coming, (and it wasn’t good!) but you received an unexpected blessing instead? That is grace. This is the grace we receive at salvation and the grace we receive as we walk our walk here on earth. Not only are our sins forgiven, and we are spared utter destruction, but we are also given love and favor from our heavenly Father. The Bible is full of promises for those who believe. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1Cor 2:9).

Who satisfies our mouth with good things. Mouth is translated as desire in some versions of the Bible. Only the LORD can satisfy that craving we always have for something more. Sometimes it seems as though there must be more to life than what we see and are experiencing. But no mere person can satisfy all our needs and wants and fill us with a permanent sense of joy. Things like money, houses, and careers cannot fill that craving either. But God can fill that empty space that cannot be satisfied with earthly things. And He fills that craving with one very good thing. He fills it with His love and we sense it most when we engage in worship. His love fills us and flows through us to other people. His indwelling presence comforts us and guides our steps. Worship of God reminds us of the presence of His great love within us.

Who does all these wonderful things for us? Who renews our strength so that we can fly like eagles again? There is only One who can bring all these blessings. God is the one who forgives us, heals us, redeems us, crowns us with loving-kindness and tender mercies, and satisfies the longings of our soul. Let us remember to bring everything to Him in prayer and worship and humble ourselves before the LORD, our loving Father.

When we spend devotional time with God and can’t think what to pray about, we can remember Psalm 103:1-5 and use it as our example. We should begin each morning by thanking God and praising Him for all He has done and promises to do for each and every one of us.

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