“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Psalm 103:1-2)
As one popular Christian song proclaims, those who are “in Christ” have 10,000 reasons to be thankful! In the first two verses of Psalm 103, David calls himself to personal praise, reminding himself that he is to praise Yahweh always. The pronouns are singular, underscoring his personal role in praise and thanksgiving as he reminds himself of all his inherited spiritual blessings. “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy [spiritual] diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (vv. 3-5). Wow! Forgiveness, redemption, and satisfaction—all such undeserved blessings for David and all true believers who trust solely in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Turning from a personal thrust, David then focuses on all true believers in verses 6 to 18 as the pronouns change to “we,” “us,” and “our,” giving priceless reasons for praise. One of the capstone verses in this treasure chest of blessings is verse 8: “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” The word gracious, coupled with the word compassion, occurs 11 times in the Old Testament. Why? Because grace is the foundation on which God bestows His endless compassion.
So, why praise and give thanks to Yahweh? Because His goodness is displayed to all when we deserve nothing but eternal damnation. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5). CM
Days of Praise Podcast is a podcast based on the Institute for Creation Research quarterly print devotional, Days of Praise. Start your day with devotional readings written by Dr. Henry Morris, Dr. Henry Morris III, Dr. John Morris, and others to strengthen and encourage you in your Christian faith.
