Psalm 103:1-5 – Why Praise God?

“Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!” (Psalm 103:1-5)

While each of these verses could stand alone as a memory verse as well as a shout-out to God. Together, they pack a powerful punch to help us get our praise on! God does all this for each of us. We can’t help but want to sing our praises when we think of God in this way. Can I get an Amen?

Context (Psalm 103) This whole psalm speaks of the wonderful things God does for us. If you ever need a pick-me-up to get you through a tough time, this psalm reminds us over and over of all the benefits we enjoy as believers. We get a good glimpse at the character of our Heavenly Father. You’ll notice there are a number of familiar verses in this psalm to also reflect on.

This is one of those psalms you might want to memorize in its entirety. It’s important that we remember God’s mercy and grace. You never know when such words will come in handy to reassure us of who we trust. These words are also great declarations to God about his majesty and supremacy over everything in our lives.

What jumps out for you in this psalm? Maybe it’s the psalmist’s acknowledgement that he is all in, 100% committed to God when he says he praises with his “whole heart.” It’s hard to find people open to committing to God these days for some reason. We should all be as dedicated.

There are plenty of action words here for God, too, like forgives, heals, and redeems. Depending on your current life situation, one or more of these may be just the confirmation you needed. When we are waiting on God, we can start to feel unworthy when doubts start to creep in. Remembering the faithfulness of God draws us closer to Him as well.

For us over 60, the mention of healing our bodies and renewing our youth sounds mighty appealing. Even as a younger person, I knew weariness. A lot of young moms still struggle today trying to get it all done. I remember those days fondly. Even though I was never sure if I was coming or going, the reality for me was never to sit down, lest I collapse and never move again.

I have learned that that kind of intensity is hard to sustain. Too many of us today put unnecessary pressure on ourselves and in so doing miss out on having the relationship with this wonderful God these verses praise. Don’t let that be you. Spend time with God, the most important relationship of your life.

Let’s pray. Lord, your goodness and mercy astound me. I cannot begin to fathom the love you have for your children, despite how wayward we often are. Thank you for your promise of eternal life with you. I am forever grateful for your love, your forgiveness, your healings, and how you have saved me from so much harm. I look forward to eternity with you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.