Songs of the Soul - Forget Not - A Devotional on Psalm 103
Psalm 103 is a psalm of David, and from its opening line we learn something essential about worship: it does not begin automatically. It must be chosen.
David does not start by addressing a congregation or even by speaking directly to God. He begins by speaking to himself.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)
The Hebrew word translated soul is nephesh. It does not refer to a disembodied spiritual part of us, but to the whole living self—the center of desire, emotion, will, and identity. When David addresses his soul, he is summoning his deepest self. He is calling everything that makes him who he is into alignment before God.
David understands something we often forget: our inner life does not drift toward worship on its own. Left unattended, the soul drifts toward anxiety, resentment, distraction, and forgetfulness. So David takes responsibility for his inner world. He commands his soul to bless the Lord.
Then he adds the line that frames the entire psalm:
“Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits.” (Psalm 103:2)
This is not a suggestion. It is a spiritual command. And it reveals something deeply true about us: we are prone to forget.
In Scripture, forgetting is not merely a failure of memory—it is a failure of faithfulness. To forget God’s benefits is to allow present circumstances to reinterpret reality without reference to God’s past grace. This is why Israel’s greatest spiritual failures rarely came from ignorance. They knew what God had done. They simply forgot.
Forgetting led them to fear when they should have trusted, to grumble when they should have praised, and to chase other gods when they should have remembered who had saved them.
David knows this tendency lives in him as well. So he does not wait for gratitude to rise naturally. He chooses remembrance. Worship, for David, is fueled not by mood but by memory.
Remembering the Benefits of God
David now lists the benefits—not as abstract theology, but as lived experience.
“Who forgives all your iniquity.”
Forgiveness comes first because everything else flows from it. Forgiveness is spoken of so often in Christian circles that it can lose its weight. We forget two things at the same time: the seriousness of our sin and the holiness of the God who forgives it.
It is no great feat for a sinner to forgive another sinner. But for a holy God to forgive rebellion—to absorb it rather than return it—this is staggering mercy. Remembering forgiveness keeps our worship humble and our gratitude alive.
“Who heals all your diseases.”
God’s care does not stop at the soul. He cares for the body as well. Healing may come through natural processes, medical means, miraculous intervention, or ultimately through resurrection and eternal life. Scripture holds all of these together. Forgetting this leads us either to despair or to self-reliance. Remembering it leads us to trust.
“Who redeems your life from the pit.”
To redeem means to purchase back. The pit refers to destruction—spiritual, moral, emotional, and even physical. God does not merely rescue us from the edge; He redeems us from the depths. He steps into what would have destroyed us and claims us as His own.
“Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.”
Notice the movement. God does not only pull us out of the pit—He crowns us. This is not bare survival; it is restored dignity. When we forget this, we live as if we are still condemned or disposable. When we remember it, we live from security rather than fear.
“Who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Our idea of “good” is often shaped by comfort and ease. God’s idea of good is shaped by wisdom and love. His goodness may not always feel pleasant, but it is always purposeful. Remembering this keeps us from equating God’s faithfulness with immediate relief.
The Character of the God Who Gives These Benefits
David now shifts from what God does to who God is.
“The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” (Psalm 103:8)
This description comes directly from Exodus 34, where God reveals His own name and character to Moses. When God tells us who He is, He leads with mercy. Anger is not His default posture. Compassion is.
David goes on to say that God does not deal with us according to our sins or repay us according to our iniquities. This is not because sin does not matter—but because God has chosen mercy. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
God knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. Our weakness does not surprise Him. Our limitations do not exhaust Him. He relates to us not as a harsh taskmaster but as a compassionate Father, because that is who He is!
Remembering in a Forgetful World
Psalm 103 teaches us that worship is sustained by remembrance. Forgetting shrinks God down to the size of the present moment. Remembering allows God’s past faithfulness to interpret our present circumstances and shape our future hope.
David ends where he began—with his soul.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul.”
Worship begins internally. It is sustained by remembering. And it reshapes the way we live.
Reflection Questions
- What are you most tempted to forget about God when life becomes difficult or exhausting?
- Which of God’s benefits listed in Psalm 103 do you most need to intentionally remember right now?
- How does remembering forgiveness reshape the way you see yourself and others?
- In what ways has forgetting God’s past faithfulness affected your present trust?
- What practical rhythms could help you cultivate the discipline of remembering God’s benefits?
Prayer
Father,
We confess that we are forgetful people. We remember our fears more easily than Your faithfulness, our losses more readily than Your mercy. Teach us to speak to our souls as David did. Help us to remember all Your benefits—Your forgiveness, Your healing, Your redemption, and Your steadfast love. Align our inner lives with what is true. Shape our worship not by our moods, but by memory.
We bless You, O Lord, with all that is within us.
Amen.