Three Reasons to Bless the LORD Today

Today’s Bible reading is Psalm 103, a hymn of praise written by David. It’s a call for all Creation to bless the Creator, beginning with my own soul.

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. (103:1-2)

What sort of “benefits” should we remember, appreciate, and praise our God for this morning? Psalm 103 provides plenty of fuel. As we sing, pray, remember, and learn today, be intentional. Bless the LORD. He is worthy of your praise and thanksgiving. Why?

• He works righteousness and justice (103:6). In a world gone wrong, he is right. In a world of darkness, he is light. He reigns. He sees. He hears. He knows, but he is not an idle bystander. He “works” in ways that are mysterious to us and on a timetable we don’t always understand. But rest assured this morning, our God “works”—giving life, breath, and everything to all mankind. Each one of us is accountable to him. 
• He forgives (103:3). Praise God that though I am accountable and have fallen short of his glory, he is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (103:8). To what extent? “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (103:12). However deep the hole I have dug in my rebellion against him, he is able to “redeem my life from the pit” (103:4). He is willing to heal my spiritual blindness (103:3). “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him” (103:13). He wants to help you be able to say, “Though I was blind, now I see.”
• He satisfies with good (103:5). Though our days are like grass that briefly flourishes and is all-too-quickly gone (103:15-16), “the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting” (103:17). With him is goodness and mercy. In him is life abundant. “Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things” (107:8-9). Come before his throne—longing, hungry—and you will not be let down by the God whose steadfast love “is better than life” (63:3).

Angels are praising him this morning (103:20). His works “in all places of his dominion” continue to praise him (103:22). May we wholeheartedly join the chorus. “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!”