If your prayers became letters to God, would He slit open the envelope and read complaints and demands? Or would His heart be warmed by praise and thanksgiving? Those more prone to the complaints/demands end need the perspective of Psalm 103, which steps away from petitions to simple praise of who God is and all He does. David wrote his share of down-in-the-dumps and corporate praise psalms, but this psalm is positive and personal. This is no polite “thank you” prayer. David’s words throb with intensity as he tries to embrace all that is God and all of God’s blessings. The simple word “all” (used eight times in NIV) attempts to convey the concept that God is complete in who He is and what He does.Many outline the psalm this way:
*Personal praise to God (vv. 1-6)
*National praise to God (vv. 6-18)
*Universal praise to God (vv. 19-22)
Because the psalm focuses on praise, I’d suggest another outline off the acrostic PRAISE.
P—Provision for life (vv. 1-3). David realizes that without God, he is nothing. “All my inmost being,” he says, “forget
not all his benefits.” God forgives “all my sins.” The forgiveness of sins, which enables us to have a
relationship with a holy God, is the greatest benefit. The second part of verse 3, “he heals all my diseases,”
has led some systems of theology to stress “healing in the atonement,” which
presumes that salvation goes hand-in-hand with healing of physical affliction.
But believers do get sick, and many other passages teach that God may have
purposes in a person’s illness. Paul desperately sought healing, but the Lord
told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). It is true
that all healing comes from God, whether through medical intervention, the
power of the body to heal itself, or a miracle.
It’s also worth mentioning
that sins like anxiety, sexual misconduct and an unforgiving spirit can bring
on illness. David experienced that when his effort to hide his sexual sin with
Bathsheba left him a physical wreck. In Psalm 32, he spoke of his bones wasting
away, day-long groaning, a sense of heaviness, and sapped strength. I read
recently of a woman who had numerous problems that baffled doctors. Finally, a pastor confronted her about bitterness
toward a family member. As soon as she broke down and confessed it, and started
the steps toward reconciliation, her symptoms began to fade.
R—Renewing presence (vv. 4-5). Redeemed from the pit of hell (v. 4), we are “crowned” with
God’s love and compassion. “Crown” comes from a word meaning “encircled,” like
a monarch’s crown. It helps picture how God encircles us with good things of
which we are unworthy, except for His amazing love. He is aware of our desires,
and He knows the world’s definition of “satisfied” won’t fill us apart from
Himself. The next verse, “so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s,” has given
rise to some strange tales about the molting habits of eagles. It’s best read as
a reminder that, like the mighty eagle, with God we can be lifted to higher,
better things.
A—Almighty plan (vv. 6-9). History turns on God reaching down in power and mercy
to emancipate the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. David referred to that
almighty plan in these verses, referring to how “The LORD works
righteousness and justice for all the oppressed” (v. 7). When David described
God as “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (v. 8),
he was quoting from the account of God revealing His essence to Moses (Exodus
34:5-7). Remembering this key historical event emphasized God’s patience even
among stubborn and grumbling people.
I—Immeasurable mercy (vv. 10-12). This section of the psalm is full of superlatives.
There aren’t words big enough to describe how God’s mercy covers our sins and
iniquities (Hebrew: “twistedness”). Instead, “For as high as the heavens are
above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the
east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” The
distance to Heaven, wherever it is, is unknown, and the universe defies
numbers. In David’s time, people thought the world was flat, yet still couldn’t
comprehend the extent of “east” or “west.” We know now that the world is round,
and east and west never meet in its circumference. I will never forget the
difficult night a phone call summoned me to the apartment of a young woman who
had attended a Bible study at our home. She was dating a young man who “played
church” but lived immorally. Once she had yielded to his sexual pressures, he
dropped her. She felt God would never forgive her. As she sobbed in my arms,
that verse came to mind as I tried to explain God’s expansive (and expensive) love
for her.
S—Sympathetic care (vv. 13-18). As that young
woman moved away to a fresh start in life, including marriage to a Christian young
man who honored her, I thought of the subsequent verses: “As a father has
compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.” This section
of Psalm 103 reminds us that life is fragile (we’re essentially “dust”) and
fleeting (like wilting flowers). But even in life’s brevity, God cares for us:
“From everlasting to everlasting, the LORD’s love is with those who fear him.”
Verse 18 explains “fear” as “those who keep his covenant and remember to obey
his precepts.”
E—Eternal dominion (vv. 19-22). The psalm that began with David’s personal praise ends
with him calling on heavenly beings to praise God, who reigns over all. As in
the beginning, the word “all” is again prominent. His kingdom rules over all. David calls on angels, mighty ones
who do His bidding and obey God’s Word, all
the heavenly hosts, servants who do his will, and all God’s works, everywhere (all
places) in His dominion. The cadence intensifies until David has exhausted his undersatnding
of heavenly beings. Finally, he returns to himself: “Praise the LORD, O my
soul.” He is so in awe of God, so grateful for God’s mercy, that he can’t do
anything but praise.
When our faith gets
comfortable with “church ways” and worship routines, we need to be pulled back
to the truths of Psalm 103. He is the mighty God, yet merciful. He is beyond
our understanding, yet intimately acquainted with us, worthy of all our praise.
Henry Lyte’s 1834 hymn, based on Psalm 103, still rings true:
Praise my soul, the king of heaven, To His feet your tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who, like me, His praise should sing.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise the everlasting King
Next: Psalm 104
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