“My soul, bless the Lord, and do not forget all his benefits.” (Psalm 103:2)
In this Psalm, David praises the Lord, as he lists many benefits of God’s loving care. Read through the Psalm again, and notice how many benefits David lists. One of my favorites is that God “redeems my life from the pit.” How descriptive and wonderful! What is your favorite
Embedded in this Psalm is a type of Hebrew poetry that shows a hierarchy of benefits. David starts with lesser benefits, builds to greater benefits, then steps back down to lesser benefits. The tiers parallel each other. Looking carefully, we see that the climax of the benefits is in verse 12. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Is this surprising? Maybe so, but it shouldn’t be.
For, if we had to carry the burden of our sin, our lives would certainly be in the “pit!” How could we enjoy the other benefits – God’s mercy, patience, care – if we were encumbered with our own sins and had no way of unloading them?
How can we learn to pray from David in this Psalm?
- Start and end your prayer with praise to God for who he is – “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”
- Acknowledge your sin, and the incredible blessing of having that sin completely removed – as far as the east is from the west.
- Recall the other benefits that you receive as a child of God. List them and thank God for his mercy and patience in caring for you, your family, and the oppressed.
Note: The following outlines the structure of Psalm 103. This structure is called a chiasm.
First tier (v. 1-2, 20-22) – “Bless the Lord.” This is repeated six times
Second tier (v. 6, 19) – God’s rule and care for all people, especially the oppressed.
Third tier (v. 7, 17-18) – God’s faithful love for His people, including generations yet unborn.
Fourth tier (v. 8-10, 14-16) – God’s patience in dealing with sinful, mortal people.
Fifth tier (v. 11,13) – God’s incredible mercy and compassion toward those who fear him.
Top tier (v. 12) – God has complete removal of our sin.