My soul, praise the Lord! Every part of me, praise his holy name! My soul, praise the Lord and never forget how kind he is! He forgives all our sins and heals all our sicknesses. He saves us from the grave, and he gives us love and compassion. He gives us plenty of good things. He makes us young again, like an eagle that grows new feathers. The Lord does what is fair. He brings justice to all who have been hurt by others. He taught his laws to Moses. He let Israel see the powerful things he can do. The Lord is kind and merciful. He is patient and full of love. He does not always criticize. He does not stay angry with us forever. We sinned against him, but he didn’t give us the punishment we deserved. His love for his followers is as high above us as heaven is above the earth. And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children. He knows all about us. He knows we are made from dust. (Psalms 103:1-14 ERV) One of my friends was in tears on a beautiful summer day, unable to deal with life’s difficulties. Another could not look beyond the life-altering sadnesses of her past. Still another struggled with the closing of the small church he had pastored faithfully. A fourth friend had lost his job at a local ministry. What can our struggling friends—or any of us—do to find hope? Where do we turn when tomorrow offers no happy promises? We can praise or “bless” the Lord, as David said in Psalm 103. In the middle of trouble, acknowledging God’s role in our lives can redirect our thinking from the hurts of our hearts and force us to dwell instead on the greatness of our God. David knew trouble. He faced the threat of enemies, the consequences of his own sin, and the challenges of sorrow. Yet he also recognized the healing power of praise. That’s why in Psalm 103 he can list reasons to turn our attention to God, who gives us many benefits: He forgives us, heals us, redeems us, crowns us with love and compassion, satisfies our desires, and renews us. David reminds us that God provides justice and righteousness, and He is gracious and loving. Take it from David: Praising God’s greatness puts hope in our troubled hearts. —Dave Branon Praise can lighten your heaviest burden.
