Wisdom Books Psalms

God's Benefits To Us

Discover Jesus as: King of Glory Psalms 103-104 Read on Bible Gateway (HCSB)

Day 443 of 730
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INTRO

Today, I feel the Lord’s leading as I teach Psalm 103. There’s some pretty cool stuff in this psalm about remembrance we’ll be looking at.

TEACHING

Psalm 103:1-19: Verses 1–2 (NASB) begins with the statement, “Bless the Lord.” The word “bless” actually means “to bend the knee.”

The phrase, “O my soul: and all that is within me,” shows the psalmist was yearning with his entire being to bless God for all His promises and all He had done. You’ve probably sung these words in a praise hymn, actually expressing the words of the psalm as they were meant—as a song. Verse 2 adds an important statement: “and forget not all his benefits.” It’s those benefits I want us to consider. The psalmist listed at least 30 benefits that come from God in this psalm. All these benefits come from God’s character.

  1. God forgives all our sin (v. 3).
  2. God heals diseases (v. 3; Isaiah 53:4–5).
  3. God redeems us from all destruction (v. 4; Psalm 18:16–17).
  4. God crowns us with lovingkindness (v. 4) Joseph redeemed from the pit (Genesis 37; 41:38–45).
  5. God crowns us with tender mercies (v. 4).
  6. God satisfies us with good things to eat (v. 5; James 1:16–17).
  7. God renews our youth like an eagle’s (v. 5; Isaiah 40:31).
  8. God performs righteous deeds and judges for all who are oppressed (v. 6).
  9. God makes His ways known to us (v. 7).
  10. God makes His acts known to us (v. 7).
  11. God is merciful and gracious toward us (v. 8; Ephesians 2:8).
  12. God is patient and slow to anger (v. 8).
  13. God abounds in mercy and lovingkindness (v. 8; Exodus 34:6–9).
  14. God gives a temporary reproof for our iniquities (v. 9; Micah 7:18).
  15. God’s anger doesn’t last forever (v. 9).
  16. God does not deal with us according to our sin (v. 10; Titus 3:5–7).
  17. God has now rewarded us with what we are due for our sins (v. 10).
  18. God shows infinite mercy to those who fear Him (v. 11).
  19. God removes our sins far away (v. 12; 2 Samuel 12:13).
  20. God has fatherly pity on His children (v. 13).
  21. God knows our frame, our created being (v. 14).
  22. God remembers our frailty (dust) (v. 14; Ecclesiastes 12:7).
  23. Man’s days are brief, but we still flourish (vv. 15–16; Isaiah 40:6–8).
  24. God’s mercy is everlasting to everlasting (v. 17).
  25. God’s righteousness extends eternally (v. 17).
  26. God’s righteousness is given to those who keep His covenant (v. 18).
  27. God’s righteousness is given to the obedient (v. 18; Deuteronomy 7:9).
  28. God has established His eternal throne in heaven forever (v. 19).
  29. God’s sovereign hand rules over all (v. 19).

Psalm 103:20–22: In verse 20, the psalmist shifts to the angels, God’s creation. He asked God to bless the angels who excel in strength, serve as His messengers and ministers, and do God’s pleasure (vv. 20–21). The psalmist pointed to the angels as another benefit—they stand charge over us. Finally, the psalmist blessed the Lord and everything about the Lord—His dominion over His creation, His angels, and His people.

CLOSING

How has the Lord blessed you? What benefits have you received from God? Have you forgotten the benefits of the Lord today? Sometimes we need to stop and “forget not His benefits.” Praise Him with your soul as you remember all He has done for you.

Questions

  1. In Psalm 103:3, the psalmist wrote God heals all our diseases. Do you believe this? Why do you think people don’t get healed sometimes when we pray for them? (Deuteronomy 32:39)
  2. Psalm 103:7 says, “He made known His ways to Moses.” God walked with Moses for 40 years in the desert. Do you feel we are able to know His ways the way Moses did? If so, how?
  3. Psalm 103:12 states God removes our transgressions from us “as far as the east is from the west.” How far is that? What do you think it means when He says He removes our sins from us? (Jeremiah 31:34)
  4. Psalm 103:13 states, “So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” Do you think this means He doesn’t have compassion on nonbelievers?
  5. According to Psalm 104:1–2, what does God wear? Describe and meditate on some of the attributes of God mentioned in Psalm 104.
  6. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in Psalms 103—104 through the reading or the teaching?

Next: the Daily Word →

Daily Word

Laura Martin Psalm 103:1–2

“My soul, praise Yahweh, and all that is within me, praise His holy name. My soul, praise the LORD, and do not forget all His benefits.”

FURTHER SCRIPTURE

  • Psalm 103:8 — “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in faithful love.”
  • 2 Corinthians 4:6–7 — “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.”
  • Galatians 2:20 — “And I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”