Psalm 103
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Psalm 103:1-2:
Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits |
Maybe cuz of our bad memory the scripture tells us “forget not all his benefits." (61 times in the scripture it talks about forgetting things). After this verse, we get a break down of these benefits: Who forgives all thine iniquities; who heals all thy diseases, who redeems thy life from destruction; who crowns thee with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s..... It's possible we are always aware of these things if asked for a list; but we oft need to have our memories stirred to not take them for granted........and regain that eagle-like youthfulness:-)
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King David must have been feeling blessed, because twice in two verses he says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul” (Psalm 103:1-2), and blessed he was, and so are those who have trusted in Christ. The psalmist reminds us to “forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:2c-3). Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David writes that it is God “who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy” (Psalm 103:3). God withholds what we deserve (His wrath) because of Christ, so that’s mercy. Our iniquities are forgotten but not His benefits…that’s grace. The ultimate healing is spiritual, when we receive Jesus’ own righteousness imputed on our behalf (2 Cor 5:21). If you are forgiven, then your soul is blessed! -Christian Crier
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Psalm 103:3-7:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. |
Romans 12:19“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is
Verse 5 tells us about the benefit of fullness: “who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” God satisfies us. Psalm 107 says “for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” The best that the world can deliver is only temporary pleasure, but God gives everlasting life, peace and blessing. The world cannot satisfy, but God abundantly satisfies the heart of man. He does this by being who He is!
God strengthens us. He gives us His strength to run the race and live a godly life. Isaiah 40: He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (vs. 29-31). -Rev. J. Patrick Street; lead pastor at Redeemer |
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Psalm 103:8:
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. |
He is slow to anger and wrath. The devils biggest lie is to make you believe God is more willing to judge and condemn you than He is to save you, bless and deliver you.
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Thousands of years ago, a psalmist made an important reference to east and west. Attributed as one of the writings of Israel’s King David, it says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). For those of us who have been convicted of our sins and God’s judgment, we often tend to carry the guilt of our wrongdoings. This verse – when considered in light of the reality that no matter how far east we travel, we’ll never find ourselves traveling west – helps us to realize the extent to which the Lord has freed us from our sins. - Bob Tamasy
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Psalm 103:10-14:
We sinned against him, but he didn’t give us the punishment we deserved. His love for his followers is as high above us as heaven is above the earth. And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children. He knows all about us. He knows we are made from dust. |
This is the message of Christianity. This is the message that the world so desperately needs and that the church has so quickly forgotten. All who trust in Jesus initially put their trust in this truth. But so quickly we fall away from that message and replace it with some other knock off. We have been redeemed. We have been set free from who we used to be. Our sins, our past, our mistakes, they are no longer a part of us. They were separated as far as the east from the west as Jesus Christ stretched out his arms on a cross for us. God no longer sees us as we once were, he sees us a children. He treats us a sons, as heirs.
The Gospel of Jesus is not so much that we are saved from hell, though we are. Nor is the Gospel that justice will be brought to an unjust world, though it will be. The Gospel isn’t even primarily that a Kingdom is being created. Even though that is a large part of it. The Gospel is that Jesus has not given us the punishment that we deserve. The Gospel is that we are children of the God of the Universe. The Gospel is that God sees us, our past, our hearts, our thoughts, and desires us all the more. The Gospel is that we have changed, redeemed, made new, loved, given purpose, and are made to bring share and bring forth the Kingdom of God. Whoever you are, Christian or not, this is the best news that could ever be proclaimed. May you respond to this news and experience the joy and peace that comes through knowing God as Father and being known by God, being made new, forgiven, and liberated from all the things that you used to be.[SOURCE: Brandon Robertson: God Will Never Give Us What We Deserve] |
One man said, “I have too much sin, spread over too many years. There is no way God will forgive me.” The Bible can teach us the tremendous power of God’s forgiveness. Ephesians 3:18 teaches, [Oh, that we might] “be able to comprehend ... what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that we might be filled with all the fullness of God. Who is able to do exceeding, abundantly, above all that we ask or think.” Is there any sin too bad? Listen to Isaiah 1:18, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ...” Scarlet was achieved by dipping a cloth in the dye twice to totally saturate it. We can be totally saturated with sin and still be forgiven if we wholeheartedly and humbly obey our Heavenly Father. This is the attitude of the psalmist who wrote, “Wash me completely from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:2). -Shane Hoover
The psalmist includes the fact that not only does God forgive and forget our sins, but “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10). Of course, we’ll still receive the consequences of our actions, but the sin in doing them is absolved. It is because of God’s great mercy that David can say, that just “as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him” (Psalm 103:11). To use a physical analogy, David says that “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). Since east and west don’t meet as do north and south (at the equator), this means our sins are sent out to a point where they’re never seen again or heard about again. It is only when we try to resurrect our old, dead, and forgiven sins that they’re brought back up, but God does not dig up the past of what’s been buried. He is not like we are. -Christian Crier
One characteristic of a grace awakening ministry deserves special attention: release from past failures. A ministry of grace doesn't keep bringing up the past for the purpose of holding it over people. There is an absence of shame. Paul addresses this in 1 Timothy 1:12-14:
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. - The Grace Awakening, Charles R. Swindoll, © 2003, Thomas Nelson,
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. - The Grace Awakening, Charles R. Swindoll, © 2003, Thomas Nelson,
When we deny ourselves, Christ increases, and we decrease. (John 3:30). We forget out past and forget our sins because: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has (God) removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12).
We also forgive ourselves for past sins and forget about them. We no longer define ourselves by them. As new creations in Christ Jesus:
“Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).
Thus, Christ denied Himself by associating with prostitutes and sinners, and He ate and dined with even extortionate tax-collectors. (Luke 5:30-32). We must also follow His example if we are to be “the salt of the earth.” -Premium Times
We also forgive ourselves for past sins and forget about them. We no longer define ourselves by them. As new creations in Christ Jesus:
“Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).
Thus, Christ denied Himself by associating with prostitutes and sinners, and He ate and dined with even extortionate tax-collectors. (Luke 5:30-32). We must also follow His example if we are to be “the salt of the earth.” -Premium Times
