SING YOUR PRAISE TO THE LORD!

September 28, 2009

SING YOUR PRAISE TO THE LORD!

Psalm 103

Melissa Ciavarra

Central Truth

David reaches to his very soul to passionately praise God's power and presence in his life.

Praise the Lord, O my soul!
With all that is within me, praise his holy name!
(Psalm 103:1)

Bless the LORD, O My Soul

Of David.

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness
    and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
    his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;^{1

103:14
Or knows how we are formed}
    he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
    he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
    and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
    and his righteousness to children's children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
    and remember to do his commandments.
19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
    and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his word,
    obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts,
    his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the LORD, all his works,
    in all places of his dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Footnotes

[1] 103:14 Or knows how we are formed

A few years ago, Amy Grant had a popular song out that woke up everything in me . . . not just my mind and my heart, but my soul as well. When I hear it, it still stimulates me in a way that makes me feel renewed and alive. It gives me a sense of freedom, makes me feel like I’m on the back of a horse running full speed ahead with nothing but green grass and the blue sky in sight. Momentarily, all the cares of this world are forgotten. Feelings of joy, peace, freedom, and hope are intensified. It’s as if I’ve been touched at the depth of my soul. The song I’m referring to was written by Rich Mullins. Here is a portion of it:

“Sing your praise to the Lord, come on everybody,
Stand up and sing one more hallelujah!
Give your praise to the Lord,
I can never tell you,
Just how much good that it’s gonna do you.”

While reading Psalm 103, I could hear the music of this song in my head. This psalm is a riveting love song that David wrote to God describing his passion for Him.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul! With all that is within me, praise his holy name!” (Psalm 103:1) These are more than beautiful words written from the heart. David is reaching to the depths of his soul to praise his protector, his provider, and his King . . . his first love. Verse 1 illustrates David’s deliberateness toward that effort. It’s as if he were saying: “Wake up everything in me. I want to offer words of understanding and affection in praise. I want to be fully devoted to You and Your purposes. I am Yours!” That is my interpretation. I can just imagine, as David wrote this psalm, he must have felt an ongoing sense of joy, peace, freedom, and hope. That sense of being fully kicked in, all circuits firing, as he was in the process of worshiping God. Wow!!! What an active and deliberate way to worship.

1. Do you remember a time when your thirst for the Lord was on fire? What was the context of that situation?

2. What types of things most often inspire you to worship God? Is it something you've heard, seen, read, written, or touched? Is it in prayer or meditation?

3. David's love letter communicates a passionate intimacy for the Lord. Can you relate to worshiping God in such an active and intentional way?