He restores my soul

Kirksville Daily Express

Pastor Glenn Archer

September 26, 2010

Faith Baptist Church

He restores my soul.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all thy diseases; who redeems thy life from destruction; who crowns thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies; who satisfies thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Ps 103:1-5)

The Psalmist did not say, “He restores my body.” He said, “He restores my soul.” As David spoke in Psalm 103, he addressed his soul, saying, “Bless the LORD, O my soul.” Speaking to his soul he remarks, “Forget not all His benefits.” He then began to enumerate the benefits the Lord had bestowed upon His soul.

First and foremost in the bag of benefits was, “He forgives all your iniquities.” Forgiveness is our greatest need. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. If we are to approach God, it must be that He has found some way to forgive us. This He has done through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Ephesians 1:7)

The second benefit he mentions was that the Lord had healed all his soul’s diseases. We fret because of disease in our bodies. Billions are spent trying to correct these problems. In spite of all we do for them, they are but headed for the grave. David was concerned with the disease of his soul. His prayerlessness, his lust and greed, his dishonesty, his pride, his covetousness; these were the things that troubled him. God not only forgives us, but He cleanses us as well. He heals the diseases of our souls. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)

A third benefit was that God had redeemed his life of from destruction. The fear of Hell had been removed. He was no longer afraid to meet God. The blood of Jesus prevails to remove the enmity that existed between God and the sinner. We now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We know that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.” (2Corinthians 5:19)

David understood that God had crowned his life with loving-kindness and tender mercies. His mouth had been satisfied with good, until his youth had been renewed like the eagles. How good and how gracious is the Lord our God. “Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” (2Corinthians 4:16) David understood that “The things which are seen are temporary; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Corinthians 4:18)

Are we willing to devote our lives to that which is but ‘a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” James 4:14)? Is it not better to live for that which is eternal? Who is the object of our respect? To whom are our lives devoted? Where did we come from? Where are we going? Who is our Judge?

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” (Isaiah 55:6)