“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits…”
(Psalm 103:1–2 ESV)
Exhortation:
David Kinder, commending on this verse, says the “psalmist is rousing himself to shake off apathy and gloom, using his mind and memory to kindle his emotions.” (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Vol 16, pg 397.)
That’s a pretty good description of worship, is it not? We’ve all come here today with varying degrees of apathy, gloom, and forgetfulness. These stand in the way of our experience of joyful praise. We shake these things off by using our minds and memories to remember the greatness of God and the greatness of his works.
And that’s what the Psalmist does. Let’s rehearse along with the Psalmist the greatness of God and his works:
- The Lord forgives all your iniquity heals all your diseases (v. 3)
- redeems your life from the pit, and crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, (v. 4)
- satisfies you with good (v. 5)
- works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed (v. 6)
- is merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (v. 8)
- does not deal with us according to our sins, rather removes our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west (v. 10-12)
- For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him (v. 11)
Are your emotions now kindled for the Lord? Let’s say with the Psalmist “Bless the Lord, O my soul!”
(Based on Psalm 103 ESV)