PRAISE THE LORD, MY SOUL

Passage: Psalms 103:1-22

Key verse: 22

NIV

Psalm 103
Of David.

1 Praise the Lord,(A) my soul;(B)
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.(C)
2 Praise the Lord,(D) my soul,
    and forget not(E) all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins(F)
    and heals(G) all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life(H) from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,(I)
5 who satisfies(J) your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed(K) like the eagle’s.(L)

6 The Lord works righteousness(M)
    and justice for all the oppressed.(N)

7 He made known(O) his ways(P) to Moses,
    his deeds(Q) to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,(R)
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;(S)
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve(T)
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love(U) for those who fear him;(V)
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions(W) from us.

13 As a father has compassion(X) on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,(Y)
    he remembers that we are dust.(Z)
15 The life of mortals is like grass,(AA)
    they flourish like a flower(AB) of the field;
16 the wind blows(AC) over it and it is gone,
    and its place(AD) remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children(AE)—
18 with those who keep his covenant(AF)
    and remember(AG) to obey his precepts.(AH)

19 The Lord has established his throne(AI) in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules(AJ) over all.

20 Praise the Lord,(AK) you his angels,(AL)
    you mighty ones(AM) who do his bidding,(AN)
    who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,(AO)
    you his servants(AP) who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works(AQ)
    everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.(AR)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Of David.

103 (A)Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
2 (B)Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and (C)forget not all his benefits,
3 who (D)forgives all your iniquity,
    who (E)heals all your diseases,
4 who (F)redeems your life from the pit,
    who (G)crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who (H)satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like (I)the eagle's.

6 The Lord works (J)righteousness
    and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his (K)ways to Moses,
    his (L)acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is (M)merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 (N)He will not always chide,
    nor will he (O)keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us (P)according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For (Q)as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his (R)steadfast love toward (S)those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he (T)remove our transgressions from us.
13 As (U)a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the Lord shows compassion (V)to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;[a]
    he (W)remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like (X)grass;
    he flourishes like (Y)a flower of the field;
16 for (Z)the wind passes over it, and (AA)it is gone,
    and (AB)its place knows it no more.
17 But (AC)the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on (AD)those who fear him,
    and his righteousness to (AE)children's children,
18 to those who (AF)keep his covenant
    and (AG)remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has (AH)established his throne in the heavens,
    and his (AI)kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the Lord, O you (AJ)his angels,
    you (AK)mighty ones who (AL)do his word,
    obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the Lord, all his (AM)hosts,
    his (AN)ministers, who do his will!
22 (AO)Bless the Lord, all his works,
    in all places of his dominion.
(AP)Bless the Lord, O my soul!

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 103:14 Or knows how we are formed
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

David was a man after God’s own heart. Perhaps nowhere in the Bible is this more evident than in Psalm 1

3. Out of the overflowing love and praise in David’s heart for the Lord his God, he wrote this Psalm. What did David praise the Lord for? Everything!

David praised the Lord for who he is. He praised the Lord for the holiness of his name (1). He praised him for his love and compassion on his creation (4). He is also a God of righteousness and justice (6). The Lord “works righteousness and justice for the oppressed.” He is also our eternal king, having established his throne in heaven over all creation (19).

David also praised the Lord for all he does for us. He heals our diseases. He forgives all our sins (3). He not only forgives our sins, he removes them from us (12)! In God’s sight, we are not just forgiven sinners, we are not sinners at all! We deserve nothing from the Lord, but he has sent his redemption to us through Jesus Christ our Lord (4). He gives so many good things, to the satisfaction of all our desires (5). Most of all, he gives his great, all-encompassing love to those who fear him and keep his covenant.

Prayer: Father, this Thanksgiving Day, may we be full of thanks and praise to you.

One Word: Praise the Lord, my soul!