Psalm 103

Worship inspite of your flesh

Psalm 103:1–2 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;”

The word Bless in hebrew here means to kneel down. It is also written as a command. There are probably quite a few times when we come before the Lord that we have to command ourselves into a posture of worship. There are days and times where we dont feel like worshiping. As a newly favorite comedian of mine says, we need to tell our feelings to do some pushups.

Sometimes we feel like its not right to come before God when we have to make ourselves, when our heart doesnt feel excited to be there.

Jesus had a parable that helps. Matthew 21:28–32 ““But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ “And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. “The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go. “Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.”

The days we dont feel like worshiping are days when our attitude needs to be reformed by worship. The worship itself will end up changing our attitude, no matter where we started.

David then says to forget none of His benefits. He immediately turns from himself to thinking about the Lord. This is where our mind is set right on worship, when we think on the Lord.

Worship the Lord for what He has done for you

The Lord has forgiven our sin and wickedness. This is the place to start in worship for it is this forgiveness that allows us to come and worship at all. These arent just accidental things we have done but they are intentional sins in which we set ourselves against the King of all things. Yet He is his love and faithfulness has forgiven us. That should be reason alone to worship for eternity but God is big.

The Lord has also healed our diseases. This word diseases doesn't actually mean sickness like we might think but it is in reference to rust on a clay pot, it is more like an impurity than physical sickness. David here is still talking about God’s work on our soul. The Lo is so good that He doesnt stop at forgiving our sin, He presses on to making us pure as well. What a process that He sticks with us on to make us pure. How much do I resist it at times, yet His faithfulness knows no end except to make us completely pure.

David also said that the Lord had redeems His life from the pit. A pit was a place of being stuck in a hole in the ground. If you were in a pit you were liable to die there unless someone came and found you. David knew what it meant to be in the pit, whether it was from his own sin, or being chased by Saul over and over again. He almost grew accustomed to his life being in danger and having no hope unless the Lord delivered Him. He wasnt just delivered from the pits, he was crowned with lovingkindness and compassion. Again, our God is big, and does more than we could think or ask.

David then says that the Lord satisfies his years with good things. The Lord had blessed David greatly. He had anointed him king and called Him a man after His own heart. David was well taken care of and in any of His strife God was there with Him. The Lord had also strengthened David. When David was weak, the Lord renewed Him.

When you hear these things, which are you drawn to for what God has done for you in your life?

Worship the Lord for All His Works

Sometimes we need to be reminded that the Lord has always been Good. Sometimes we find ourselves in the Pit and we need to remember how faithful God has always been.

David shifts from what God has done for him to just plain what God has done.

Psalm 103:6–14 “The Lord performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed.

He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.”

Worship the Lord for He is Not Like Us

Psalm 103:15–19 “As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them. The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.”

If god was like us He wouldnt be worth worshiping much. We all have our end. Our days pass as quickly as the grass. We are fickle and eventually forgotten. Our God is Big though. He is from everlasting to everlasting and so is His lovingkindness to those who trust in Him.

Worship The Lord

David ends with a joyful shout and a desire for everything to worship the Lord. He wants the angels to worship, the works to worship, I think David would have been happy to see the rocks worshiping. He got so excited about God’s goodness he couldnt contain it to himself. He was saying God is so big that if everything were to worship it wouldnt be enough. He ends with the command again for His own soul to bless the Lord.

How is your worship? Do you live and rest in God? Is your heart excited like David’s? Worship the Lord this week and take it with you to where it is not.