This week’s “Wednesday Word” is a summary of an exposition of Psalm 103 from student-teacher Ryan Perz given on Sunday July 13, 2008.

The Rolling Stones once lamented, “I can’t get no satisfaction!” While blaming their disaffected state on hollow advertisements, insufficient information, and disillusioned attempts at sex and romance, it is more likely that their lyrics show the emptying effects of hedonistic pleasure-seeking in a fallen and fleeting world. Sadly, this unsatisfied state of living is not isolated to over-the-hill rockers. Too many Christians can resonate with their words and draw comfort from their lyrics, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” Whether due to distraction or disappointment, boredom or busyness, preoccupation with worldly-pleasures or too little reflection on the blessings of the Lord, many Christians and many of us are tempted to turn from sacrifices of praise to downloaded iPods seeking to medicate our pain. There must be a better way!

In Psalm 103, we hear a song with a different tune that tells another story. In its lyrics, the sweet psalmist of Israel, recounts a multitude of ways that the steadfast God of love has satsified his soul and caused him to return praise to the King! Perhaps here Mick Jagger and company could learn something. Perhaps we can too. In fact, we must! The life of our weary souls depend on it.

Penned by King David, Psalm 103 confronts our souls with the revitalizing benefits of the steadfast love of God. In this hymn of praise, David confronts himself and boldly instructs his soul to bless the Lord. Rejecting circumstances that could have easily led David to discouragement (i.e. the loss of his best friend, Jonathan; the hatred of an insecure employer, Saul; the rebellious conspiracy of a son who sought to overthrow his kingdom, Absalom; or the foolish escapade David had with Bathsheba that ended in escalating sin and personal tragedy), the faithful psalmist rejects all temptations to self-pity and despair. Instead, with courageous faith and rock solid truth, this fierce warrior focuses his attention on the goodness of God (cf. Psalm 42-43). In this he fights for joy and grapples with praise!

The hymn of praise opens with eyes lifted to the LORD, the true King of Israel, and the covenant-keeping God, YHWH. Unwilling to listen to what his soul may whisper, or even feel, David commands, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord oh my soul, and forget not all of his benefits” (v. 1-2a). In verses 3-5, he recounts five reasons for his praise. Each reason reveals God’s particular love: He is a God who forgives iniquity, heals disease, redeems ensnared lives, crowns pitiful lives with mercy, and satisfies his people with good. What follows is a continuation on this theme of steadfast love. David rejoices in who this God is (v.6-8), what He does (vv. 9-10), what His love looks like (vv. 11-14), how He treats sinful humanity (vv. 15-19), and finally how all creation is instructed to bless the one who is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (v. 8, 20-22; cf. Ex. 34:6-7).

This Psalm is replete with truths worthy of extended meditation. In fact, speaking of Psalm 103, Charles Spurgeon said: “There is too much in the Psalm, for a thousand pens to write, it is one of those all-comprehending Scriptures which is a Bible in itself, and it might alone almost suffice for the hymn-book of the church.” Consider some of the ways David captures the love of God in his Psalm:

[God] does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities (v. 10).

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is [God’s] steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us (v. 11-12).

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him (v. 13).

The steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him (v. 17).

This week as you encounter the diminishing returns of the fallen world and are tempted to sing along with the Rolling Stones, may you turn the dial instead to hear the words of King David. Though plagued with the fallenness of his humanity and afflicted with the trials and tribulations of this age, Scripture’s royal crooner raised his voice in song to the God who loves sinners and sent his son to die for us. Such a radical turn from the “blues” is not hypocrisy–it is an act of faith and repentance! It is a Spirit-wrought victory over spiritual darkness. This week may we fill our mouths with the life-giving truths of Psalm 103 and bless the Lord. May our hearts grow warm in affection for God as we remember his love and forget not his benefits.

Sola Deo Gloria, dss

Audio from this week’s lesson: Psalm 103