Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases . . . The Lord performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed . . . The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness . . . For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him . . . Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will. Bless the Lord, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the Lord, O my soul (!Psalm 103:1-3, 6, 8, 11-13, 21-22, NASB)
Psalm 103 is a psalm of King David, “Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.” It’s a wonderful poem, and it’s inspired many songs and hymns. David pours his heart out, expressing his love for the Lord. It also mentions many of God’s attributes.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me . . . ” King David knew the Law of Moses, which commanded the Israelites to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, and might. David’s descendant Jesus later repeated this instruction as the greatest commandment.
God’s attributes as recorded by David in this psalm: God is merciful; He is Healer; He is righteous; He’s the supreme Judge Who frees the oppressed; He is compassionate and gracious; He’s slow to anger, but overpouring in His love for those who fear Him; He forgives our transgressions; and He’s compassionate.
How much does God love us? “As high as the heavens are above the earth.” That’s really high! How far has God removed our sins from us? “As far as the east is from the west.” That’s an infinite distance! How much compassion does the Lord have for those who have the utmost respect for Him? “Just as a father has compassion on his children.” This makes me want to say, “Abba! Father!”
This is a wonderful love poem by King David to our God!