Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

                                                                                                                                       Psalm 103:1-5

There are benefits to knowing God and experiencing them is essential if we are to live a life of spiritual strength and renewal. Consider what God has done for you, if only you will receive these benefits from Him:

1. God is willing to forgive you of every wrong you have ever and will ever commit in your lifetime.
2. God is willing to heal you of the things that prohibit you from living a victorious life (addiction, depression, fear, etc).
3. God is willing to redeem your very soul from eternal condemnation and separation from Him.
4. God is willing to show you love, kindness, and compassion.
5. God is willing to provide you with everything you need to live a full and meaningful life.

For a long time I viewed the last part of this passage, “youth being renewed”, as connected only by the last sentence, “God satisfying your years with good things.” But it occurred to me that, after verse one, there are no breaks in the sentence structure until you get to verse five. So why is that important? I believe the benefits listed throughout the Psalm act as a way of God renewing our youth. Conversely, it’s only when we forget what God has done for us that we become spiritually weak and in need of renewal. Consider the opening, “forget none of His benefits.” Having established that, consider the following:

God pardons all of your iniquities…so that your youth is renewed…

God heals all of your diseases…so that your youth is renewed…

God redeems your life from the pit…so that your youth is renewed…

God crowns you with love, kindness, and compassion…so that your youth is renewed…

God satisfies your years with good things…so that your youth is renewed…

So now, with a renewed vigor for what God has done for you, it is now appropriate to sing, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” Praise Him as you pray for spiritual strength today!