Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103: 2-5, NKJV.
My Savior and my God, I want to thank You; for I have experienced these blessings in my life. Please draw closer dear Savior, and allow us to continue in Your presence as we draw inspiration from Your Word, set to music. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Today we continue with another hymn whose inspiration is based on our Scripture for today. Like this songwriter, many of us have been blessed in so many ways. As we consider the blessings that the Father has bestowed upon us, our souls break out in rejoicing, “Bless the LORD, O my soul…!” Perhaps one of our greatest blessings, but one we often take for granted, is the blessing of forgiveness. Do we realize that unless we are forgiven we cannot be saved? Praise God for forgiveness! May the wideness of His merciful forgiveness, help us to be willing to forgive others.
When the Psalmist talks about healing our diseases, he is not talking about a common illness, but about an illness that could have proven fatal; if it were not for God’s mercy! Unless you have been there, you may not realize what You have been saved from! In the NRSV, verse 4a is rendered as follows: “who redeems your life from the Pit,” another way of saying, who redeems your life from the grave! Praise God for spared life!
Then the LORD our God, “crowns [us] with lovingkindness and tender mercies” and as a consequence, our “youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Have you ever smiled when someone said to you, “You look so well,” knowing what you have gone through? When you call to remembrance how close you came to “giving up the ghost;” as David said, there is but a step between me and death” (1 Samuel 20: 3); all you can exclaim is:
Praise to the Lord
“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation! O my soul praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation! All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near; join ye in glad adoration!
“Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth, shieldeth thee under His wings, yea so gently sustaineth! Hast thou not seen how thy desire e’er have been granted in what He ordaineth?
“Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee; surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee. Ponder anew what the Almighty can do if with His love He befriend thee.”
Joachim Neander/ Translated by: Catherine Winkworth.