Greatest Hits of the Old Testament Psalm 103: Psalm of Praise

Snippet of Sermon by Dr Andrew Peh

Ps 103 is sometimes known as the Mount Everest of the Psalm of Praise.

We are a forgetful people. Devise ways not to forget people: naming places, building monuments after them. How are we do? With all the gizmos that we hv, have we become smarter. We are dependent on them. Object that should rightly serve us becomes that which we are enslaved to. UMH 66 Praise My Soul O King of Heaven.

Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven; To His feet thy tribute bring. Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, Evermore His praises sing: Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise the everlasting King. Praise Him for His grace and favor To our fathers in distress. Praise Him still the same as ever, Slow to chide, and swift to bless. Alleluia! Alleluia! Glorious in His faithfulness. Father-like He tends and spares us; Well our feeble frame He knows. In His hands He gently bears us,

Rescues us from all our foes. Alleluia! Alleluia! Widely yet His mercy flows. Frail as summer’s flower we flourish, Blows the wind and it is gone; But while mortals rise and perish Our God lives unchanging on, Praise Him, Praise Him, Hallelujah Praise the High Eternal One! Angels, help us to adore Him; Ye behold Him face to face; Sun and moon, bow down before Him, Dwellers all in time and space. Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise with us the God of grace.

This Psalm is attributed to King David. It is one of the best loved Psalms. Henry Francis Lyte wrote it in 1834 based on this Psalm. As the stanzas move along, we can see how the Psalmist praises the Lord. Note the expansive pattern in this Psalm of Praise:

·        V1-5 His personal praise.  Individual ·        6-18 He enjoins his people, the community of God to praise. Communal ·        V19-22 The whole of creation. Global

http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/5Kernels.html

The Pilgrim Fathers who landed at Plymouth Rock nearly 400 years ago knew nothing of the affluent times which you and I enjoy today in this great country of ours.  The next time you and I are tempted to complain about inflation and the state of our economy, remember the following:

During that first long winter at Plymouth Colony, seven times as many graves were made for the dead as homes for the living. The ship which was to bring food and relief brought 35 more mouths to feed, but not an ounce of provisions.  Touching indeed is the picture of William Brewster, rising from a scanty Plymouth dinner, consisting of a plate of clams and a glass of cold water, to thank God “for the abundance of the sea and the treasures hid in the sand.”

The Pilgrims didn’t have much, but they possessed a great gratitude and it was upon this very thing that America was built. These stalwart people, strong, devout and sincere were the timbers upon which our nation was founded.  

For many of those first thanksgivings they had a custom of putting 5 kernels of corn upon each empty plate before dinner was served. Each member of the family would pick up a kernel and tell what they were thankful for. It was to remind them that the very first Pilgrims were in such dire straits that their allowance was only 5 kernels of corn per person each day.  In the 5 grains of corn we can remember 5 things to praise God for using Psalm 103:1-5.

1. The Kernel of Forgiveness

Verse 3a: “…who forgiveth all thine iniquities…”

From the depths of our hearts, a sense of gratitude should well up.  We don’t deserve forgiveness, but He gives it to us anyway.

2. The Kernel of Redemption

Verse 4a: “…who redeemeth thy life from destruction…”

The Lord not only saved our souls from hell, but He also redeems our lives from the clutches of the devil. Satan is bent on damning our souls and destroying our lives. But thanks be to God who redeems our lives from Satan’s power. All one has to do is take a look at our penitentiaries,

3. The Kernel of Healing

Verse 3b: “…who healeth all thy diseases…”

Just as surely as some disorders of the body can be cured by medicines and surgery, so the soul of man can be cleansed, purged and purified—and made whole when God the Holy Spirit is allowed to possess us completely.

4. The Kernel of Love and Compassion*

Verse 4b: “…crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies…”

The loving kindness and tender mercies of the Lord accompany our lives every day.

5. The Kernel of Satisfaction and Renewal*

Verse 5: “…who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” When we seek God’s righteousness, He grants it. But that’s not the end. Verse 5 also says that God will renew our youth like the eagle’s. I am constantly being renewed, refreshed, and revived in my soul and God is doing it all!

No wonder then that the Psalmist said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” 

In 1 Sam 7:12 it was recorded for us how the Lord gave Israel victory over the Philistines. “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.””  Pastor Andrew’s friend decided to make it a point to raise an Ebenezer to recount how the Lord has journeyed with him. Ebenezer means Stone of Help in Hebrew. Before long, he had a rock garden in his room.

Many of us need a spiritual audit to take stock of the many things we have taken for granted. A neuro-theologian shared his research on how the brain works: our brains shut down when we rest and it takes 800 000 connections that will help us recall yesterday when we wake up. That’s transparent to us but it works every morning. Last week, we learned that God is the Divine Insomniac that watches over us, not so much that he cannot sleep but because he will not sleep. Isn't that something that we can give thanks for? Do we take our family and friends for granted? Do we cherish them to spend time with and be spent for them? These are tangible ways of being thankful.

Forget not all his benefits. It is a natural thing to break out in praises. William Law wrote, “Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world: It is not he who prays most or fasts most, it is not he who gives most alms or is most eminent for temperance, chastity or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it.”

Reflection Exercise:

1.     Do you have a heart ready to thank God? When have you asked for grace to see God in the best and the worst that life has to offer?

2.     Do a spiritual audit account for some blessing that the Lord has given you in the past week. Remember not to forget his benefits.