Do Not Forget His Benefits
Psalm 103:2–5 NIV
“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
We live in a fallen world where what is wrong often feels more visible than what is good. We can become so focused on what is missing, what has not worked out, or what we are still waiting for that we forget what God has already given us.
Psalm 103 calls us to remember.
He forgives our sins. In Christ, we have been made righteous, not because we are without flaws, but because He is righteous.
He heals our diseases. Healing is part of what Christ purchased for us, and Scripture reminds us that by His wounds we have healing.
He redeems our lives and crowns us with love and tender mercies. Think of the moments when a situation could have ended badly, when something should have been lost, or when judgment seemed deserved, yet mercy spoke instead. There are times when God has preserved relationships, opportunities, lives and futures that seemed close to ending.
He fills our lives with good things. It is easy to notice what hurts, what disappointed us and what did not go according to plan. Yet even in difficult seasons, we are surrounded by grace, provision, protection, relationships, opportunities and countless expressions of God’s goodness.
Another translation says that He “fills my mouth with good things.” It is a powerful picture of God teaching us not to speak defeat, bitterness, fear or destruction, but to speak what gives life over ourselves and others.
And He renews our youth like the eagle’s. There is renewal in God. He restores, strengthens, revives and gives us grace to rise again.
Notice how the Psalm begins: the psalmist speaks to his own soul and says, “Do not forget.”
Pain, disappointment and frustration can mask the goodness of God. That is why we must continually remind ourselves of His benefits and make His faithfulness our point of hope.
As the hymn says:
“Count your many blessings, name them one by one.”
Sometimes praise begins by simply remembering what the Lord has already done.
Hallelujah.