Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits–3 Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; 5 Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]! 6 The Lord executes righteousness and justice [not for me only, but] for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and loving-kindness. 9 He will not always chide or be contending, neither will He keep His anger forever or hold a grudge. 10 He has not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe]. 14 For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 For the wind passes over it and it is gone, and its place shall know it no more. 17 But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, and His righteousness is to children’s children–18 To such as keep His covenant [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it] and to those who [earnestly] remember His commandments to do them [imprinting them on their hearts]. 19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word. 21 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, all you His hosts, you His ministers who do His pleasure. 22 Bless the Lord, all His works in all places of His dominion; bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul! Psalms 103:1-22 AMP
The word bless in this psalm is the Hebrew word “barak” which means to kneel and to bless God as an act of adoration. Psalm 103 is a psalm of praise, adoration, and thankfulness for all that God has done for us.
You bless the Lord for His benefits, reminding yourself of what He has done and what He has promised. Why is it so important to remind yourself of what the Lord has promised? You must remind yourself so that you don’t ever forget. You don’t live in heaven yet. You have a devil to deal with. He would like you to forget the word and promises of God so that he can take advantage of you and kill, steal, and destroy. The devil knows that if you know God’s word and promises, you will recognize his attack and you will take authority over him and not allow him to continue with his plans and so he tries to keep you ignorant and if he can’t keep you ignorant, he will try to get you to forget and then to become ungrateful.
Many people have a false idea of Who God is and what He will do. They believe that He is a hard, unfair, judgmental God, Who is sparing with His blessings, Who holds grudges against us forever and Who condemns us to hell. They think that our works are what counts with God, but His word tells us another story. He tells us not to forget His benefits.
What are the Lord’s benefits? He forgives every one of your iniquities, He heals every one of your diseases, He redeems your life, pours His love and mercy on you, provides for you, satisfies you, and executes righteousness and justice for you. The Lord is righteous and just and He wants you to know this and to and expect it. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and loving-kindness. He does not nag you, argue with you, or remind you of all your faults and failings. He is not angry for long and He definitely does not hold grudges. He loves you so much, that He has not dealt with you after your sins nor rewarded you according to our iniquities. Rather, He has chosen to forgive you and to forever forget the bad things you have done. He has removed your transgressions from you, as far as the east is from the west and He loves you like a father loves his children. He understands all your shortcomings, failings, and weaknesses and He still chooses to love you with all His heart!
Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, you are in covenant with Almighty God and He will never forget this covenant – any promises He has made you will be fulfilled – therefore you can rejoice and praise Him, bless Him, and thank Him everyday as you enjoy all His benefits!
