Out of sight, out of mind – so the saying goes. And nowhere is that more true than it is in our apprehension of God and His goodness as a constant, living reality to our souls.

So it is in Psalm 103, David needs to remind himself of who and what God is and has done, in order to restore an inward atmosphere of worship.

Note then in the Psalm this catalogue of “His benefits” – or as the 1985 Jewish Publication Society version calls them “His bounties.” But in either case, they are His benefits/bounties toward His own. They are personal. How He loves to bless His own Himself, and not just provide blessings impersonally or as rank and file, generic niceties.

So let these sink in Believer.

(v3) There is no species of sin beyond the power of His forgiveness.

(v3) And He grants forgiveness, not just of individual sins, but of our very sinfulness.

And then, healing from the effects of our sin.

The word for diseases here is only used 5 times in the OT and is always attached to the griefs the Lords lays upon people in punishment for sins. There is no species of suffering brought on by sin, that is beyond His mercy to heal.

(v4) He gives the promise of resurrection.

(v4) And grants the reality of His steadfast – not vacillating – love and mercy.

(v5) There is His desire to give us that which is a true blessing to us, and not decay our souls.

(v6) The privilege of looking forward to a day of complete justice.

(v7) And above all, His self-revelation, located in:

(v8) His imperturbable nature.

(v10) His dealing with us according to grace and mercy because His justice is satisfied in Christ.

(v13) His compassion on our weakness.

(v17) His personal, everlasting love.

(v19) And His divine superintendency over the entirety of our lives.

Remind yourself today of His great benefits.