By David.
1Praise Yahweh, my soul!All that is within me, praise his holy name!2Praise Yahweh, my soul,and don’t forget all his benefits,3who forgives all your sins,who heals all your diseases,4who redeems your life from destruction,who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,5who satisfies your desire with good things,so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.6Yahweh executes righteous acts,and justice for all who are oppressed.7He made known his ways to Moses,his deeds to the children of Israel.8Yahweh is merciful and gracious,slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.9He will not always accuse;neither will he stay angry forever.10He has not dealt with us according to our sins,nor repaid us for our iniquities.11For as the heavens are high above the earth,so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him.12As far as the east is from the west,so far has he removed our transgressions from us.13Like a father has compassion on his children,so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him.14For he knows how we are made.He remembers that we are dust.15As for man, his days are like grass.As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.16For the wind passes over it, and it is gone.Its place remembers it no more.17But Yahweh’s loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting with those who fear him,his righteousness to children’s children,18to those who keep his covenant,to those who remember to obey his precepts.19Yahweh has established his throne in the heavens.His kingdom rules over all.20Praise Yahweh, you angels of his,who are mighty in strength, who fulfill his word,obeying the voice of his word.21Praise Yahweh, all you armies of his,you servants of his, who do his pleasure.22Praise Yahweh, all you works of his,in all places of his dominion.Praise Yahweh, my soul!
What’s happening. A psalm of David. He is not asking for anything here. He is talking to himself, calling his own soul to praise.
What it means. “Forget not all his benefits” is the heart of it. David lists what God does: he forgives, heals, redeems from the pit, crowns with love and mercy, and renews. Praise often begins as a choice to remember God’s goodness, especially when we are tempted to forget.
What’s happening. Continuing Psalm 103, David reflects on how God treats people who have sinned against him.
What it means. God does not deal with us as our sins deserve. His love is as high as the heavens, and he removes our sins as far as the east is from the west, a distance that never ends. Like a father, he is tender with his children, because he knows we are fragile, made from dust.