‘Bless the Lord’
In the course of our Christian lives, we will all go through seasons of spiritual barrenness, times when praise comes hard and a consciousness of God’s goodness and grace is overshadowed by physical pain or relational stress or emotional exhaustion. During these times it’s easy to lose our spiritual bearings and entertain thoughts that distort a right understanding of God’s character and care. It’s in these times that we need the Lord’s help to regain a healthy perspective regarding God’s goodness and grace.
Psalm 103 is a hymn in which David reflects on God’s gracious nature. What makes the Psalm unique is that it’s a hymn sung by an individual in the context of a public worship gathering, and as the individual sings everyone who hears it can relate to it and is encouraged. The Psalm opens with a call to worship and praise, but what distinguishes it is that it’s self directed ‘self-talk’. David speaks to his own soul; there are times when we need to do this or we’ll be swept away by our emotions and misreading of the situation. The opening lines are quite revealing - “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,...”. The phrase “Bless (praise) the Lord” carries the idea of adoring on bended knees. It’s a call to humble ourselves, and shift our attention away from ourselves, and focus our thoughts on God’s goodness and grace. This is intentional praise, it’s not emotionally or circumstantially driven. It’s an expression of the will; it’s self-determined praise. There are times when praise doesn’t come easily, and yet, these are the times when we need to praise the most. The circumstances of life aren’t always praiseworthy, but God always is! We need to decide to praise. But we also know that praise is a responsive act; it’s a response to something that’s worthy of praise.
So when life is tough and you’re physically and emotionally spent….where do you turn? Where should you look? David tells us: focus on who God is and what he’s done. The closing lines of verses 1 & 2 state this plainly - “...bless his holy name” and “...forget not all his benefits”. It is always appropriate to praise and worship the Lord, the one who is holy, self-existent, supreme, transcendent, gracious, and good. Also, it’s reassuring to reflect on God’s provisions mediated to us through our union with Christ. There are six benefits mentioned in the opening section of the Psalm - “who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's (vv.3-5).” The general message is that of restoration and God’s active interest in our personal needs. Notice the repeated use of the pronouns ‘who’ (God) and ‘your’ (the individual believer). The way these pronouns are repeatedly used together makes it clear that God is acting on our behalf in very specific ways that benefit us. And they are benefits that can only come from the hand of God. He forgives our sin and guilt; he heals all our diseases, and disease here is a metaphorical reference to adversity, and healing speaks of restoration and renewal. He also redeems our life from the pit (from destruction), and crowns us, or lifts us up, with his steadfast love and mercy. Instead of destruction and death, the Lord extends love and compassion to us and lifts us up. Then he satisfies us, he makes us content, with good, with everything in life that’s constructive, wholesome, and beautiful. But, ultimately, our ‘soul’s satisfaction’ is found in our redeemed standing before God. The consequence of this (‘so that’) is that our youth is renewed ‘like the eagle’s’. The image is that of old feathers dropping off and new ones appearing. In Christ, we are liberated and renewed in the inner man….we’re a new creation in Christ Jesus! When we think about what we’ve received in Christ we have cause for praise no matter what we’re experiencing in life.