Week 5: Bless the Lord

Psalm 103:1-6

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul;

and all that is in 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 the oppressed.

This Psalm calls us to bless and praise the Lord not only with part of us, but with all that is in us. Bless Him with your soul. Everything we have is from God, so we should give all of it back to Him through praise and honor. The next verse reminds us of all that God does for us everyday. Do not forget his benefits. The remembrance of His mercies is what equips us to worship Him. Just to remind us even further, the writer lists some of the incredible blessings the Father gives to us. He forgives our sins. He heals diseases. He redeems us from the pits of despair. He is a loving and merciful Father. He is the only thing that can satisfy us. He offers us eternal life in heaven. He does everything perfectly without mistake. The Lord does these things, not out of requirement, but because He loves us deeply. In the same way, He calls us to be generous to Him and His people, not out of requirement, but because we love Him with all that is in us. Bless the Lord through honor and worship.

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. God does all of this not just for His own people, but for everyone who is oppressed too. He is compassionate towards those who are hurting and oppressed. In Isaiah 1:17, we are called to “seek justice and correct the oppressor.” Jesus not only is compassionate to the oppressed, but he calls us to call out the oppressors and make a change. There is significant hurting and pain in our world right now, and Jesus cares deeply and wants us to care deeply as well. Bless the Lord, O my soul.