Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless [praise] His holy Name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, 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 goodness so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5
I find it interesting that David has to extol us to bless and praise the Lord.
Why does he have to encourage us to praise if we are truly wrapped up and focused on Jesus?
There should be no reason to remind us.
Praise and exaltation should pour forth from every conversation and thought, every moment of our day. Not in a half-hearted endeavor or to fulfill some requirement but when we truly behold Him, we can’t help but worship and praise!
All That Is Within Me
David declares “and ALL that is within me, praise His holy Name!”
In case we need the reminder, he says that God forgives ALL of our iniquities and sins (not just some, but all) and He heals our every disease. If that were not enough, He too redeems and rescues our life from the pit and crowns us with His steadfast love and mercy.
Have you ever allowed a piece of dark (or milk) chocolate to rest upon your tongue slowly melting its delightful bliss in your mouth?
In a similar manner, God Himself satisfies us with Himself and His goodness. What if our every day was an experience with the better-than-dark-chocolate richness of our majestic Lord and exalted King upon our lips and lives?
Like an Eagle
And look at the last statement in verse five—God renews our youth like the eagle.
An eagle goes through a molting process approximately every ten months—so every ten months its feathers are being replaced by new ones. The eagle continually goes through a process of renewal, transformation, and change. And so must we. God is desiring to continually take us through a refinement process where our lives are progressively being renewed, changed, and transformed into His image and likeness. In a month, we should not be the same people as we are now, nor should we be like we were a year ago. We are to live in a constant response and openness to the refining and working of Christ within our lives.
And so must we.
God desires to continually take us through a refinement process where our lives are progressively being renewed, changed, and transformed into His image and likeness. In a month, we should not be the same people as we are now, nor should we be like we were a year ago. We are to live in constant response and openness to the refining work of Christ within our lives.
What more could we want or say?
Perhaps only this: “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, praise His holy Name!”
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