“Forget not all his benefits”: a devotional on Psalm 103
David talks to himself in this psalm. “Praise the Lord, my soul,” he says, as if his soul needed reminding. Psalm 103 is a song of gratitude, but it starts with a command to his own heart, because gratitude does not always come naturally.
Forget not
Verse 2 says, “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Forgetting is easy. People remember their problems in detail and their blessings in general. David makes a list so he will not forget. Verses 3 to 5 name the benefits: God forgives all your sins, heals all your diseases, redeems your life from the pit, crowns you with love and compassion, and satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Take a moment to make your own list. What has God forgiven? From what has he rescued you? Where has he shown you kindness?
Slow to anger
Verse 8 echoes God’s words to Moses in Exodus 34: “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” God’s character is the reason for David’s praise.
Verses 10 to 12 contain some of the most comforting words in Scripture: “He does not treat us as our sins deserve.” “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” East and west never meet. Forgiven sin is not stored up for later.
Compassion
Verse 13 says, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” God knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. He is patient with our weakness. Verses 15 to 17 compare human life to grass and flowers that the wind blows away. In contrast, “from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him”. Our lives are short. His love is not.
All creation
The psalm ends with a call to angels, heavenly hosts and all God’s works to praise him. Then David returns to where he began: “Praise the Lord, my soul.” Lord, I praise you with all my inmost being. Help me not to forget your benefits. Thank you for forgiving my sins and removing them as far as the east is from the west. Thank you for your fatherly compassion. Amen.
