Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being , praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psalm 103:1-5 NIV)
The devotional below is from the book, Captivated by the Heart of God by David Good. It is a reminder for us to look through the lens of God's goodness.
As I was reading Psalm 103 the other day I was struck by the phrase in verse 2 that says, "...and forget not all his benefits." I like how the New Living Translation says, "...may I never forget the good things he does for me." Remembering God's acts of kindness to us is a critical part of worship. We don't forget. We just fail to allow the reality of what he has done shape how we understand and feel about life. I think of it as wearing prescription glasses. We can manage without them, but our vision is blurred and distorted and we miss important details. David is reminding us to put on our glasses so that we always view our lives through the lens of God's goodness.
I remember a conversation around the dinner table at our home not long ago with our teenage son. If you have a teenager in your home, I'm sure you have had the same conversation. As we were getting up from the table, my wife informed our son that he needed to rinse the dishes and load the dishwasher. He immediately complained about the unfair workload his mother and I burden him with. I think his exact words were, "Why do I have to do all the work around here?" I am thankful that my wife will not allow guns in our house because I believe she would have shot him right there in the kitchen. Before any violence could erupt, I simply asked him the following questions: Who made dinner? Who went to the grocery store and bought all the food we just ate? Who worked to earn the money to buy all the food? Of course his answer was you and mom. "So, what did you do?" I asked. "Nothing", he replied. He lowered his head and did the dishes and has never said that since. The simple fact was that he had forgotten the good things his parents do for him on a daily basis.
Sometimes we all act like that with God. We go through life with all of its demands, frustrations, trials and pressures and our vision gets distorted. We get tired and frustrated, angry and depressed. We see God as harsh, uncaring and distant. That is when we need to put on our glasses so that we can see clearly and be reminded that he is good and his mercy endures forever. If you ever find yourself forgetting what God has done for you, read Psalm 103. David lists them for us so we won't forget. Always remember that no matter how bad life gets, it will never overshadow the greatness of God's goodness towards you. You may need to take a moment and reflect on some of the great things he has done for you. Write them down. Say them out loud so you can hear them. As the sun rises and sets, recite them so that you will never forget them.