12/27/2023
Elijah McSwain, Sr.
Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV — 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 your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Henry Edward Manning voiced that “praise consists in the love of God, in wonder at the goodness of God, in recognition of the gifts of God, in seeing God in all things He gives us, ay, and even in the things that He refuses to us; so as to see our whole life in the light of God; and seeing this, to bless Him, adore Him, and glorify Him.” 1 The nature of the aforementioned quote mirrors the words of Psalm 103 as the writer vividly expressed his gratitude in relation to the deeds of the Lord. The composer David was so in awe of God that he blessed the Lord with everything within the frame of his body, mind, and soul.
The responsive position of the psalmist displayed his effort to lift up God’s name, to bless God for His benefits of forgiveness, healing, redemption, loving-kindness, tender mercies, and satisfaction. The poetic expression in Psalm 103 reveals the involvement of God in the life of David and praise given unto the Lord was the appropriate behavioral and vocal declaration of the psalmist.
In light of this psalm, every person should reminisce and recall to mind the greatness of God as that of David. In doing so, everyone should bless the Lord for His countless blessings that are given unto us.
Upon our consideration of examining the theme Bless the Lord for His Divine Satisfaction, it is noteworthy to consider that we are to bless the Lord for His divine fulfillment and bless the Lord for rejuvenating His people.
Bless The Lord for His Divine Fulfillment
In the beginning portion of verse five, David avowed that the Lord satisfies our mouth with good things. As people, when we think about the word satisfy, it indicates the fulfillment of a desire or longing in relation to a need. Throughout the life of David, he had many needs that were fulfilled emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Certainly, he could attest that the things that were satisfactory in his life stemmed from the hand of God. No doubt, looking back over the moments of his life, David could profoundly state that satisfaction came from God and is of God. He verbally acclaimed that God fulfills the needs of His people with good things.
It is imperative to note that God provides in a gratifying manner as He sees fit. His means of supplying us with good things is not based on our human demands or selfish impulses. The Lord knows what we need and will graciously grant us what we need in this life in alignment with His will.
Matthew Henry implied that it is only the favor and grace of God that can give satisfaction to a soul, can suit its capacities, supply its needs, and answer to its desires. Nothing but divine wisdom can undertake to fill its treasures (Proverbs 8:21); other things will surfeit, but not satiate (overfill). 2
God gives us exactly what we need to be satisfied fully. He permits us to be recipients of His grace, mercy, love, kindness, benevolence, and so forth that will sustain us daily in our spiritual walk and physical journey in this life.
In this psalm, David was a beneficiary of the good things concerning God’s benefits of forgiveness, healing, redemption, loving-kindness, and tender mercies. This list is not exhaustive as it pertains to all the benefits of the Lord. However, David lists these benefits as major elements as to what he has experienced in His life at the hand of God. David was satisfied that God forgave him of his iniquities, God healed all of his diseases, God redeemed his life from destruction, and God crowned him with loving-kindness and tender mercies. There is much satisfaction that we have in God for the great things that He has done alone in those areas of our lives as well.
David Guzik mentioned that “the result of God’s work, both in what He saves us from and what He saves us unto, is to bring true satisfaction to our lives. This is different from mere pleasure or entertainment; God wants to bring true satisfaction to our lives from good things.” 3
Good things spoken here are considered as the things that God deems as pleasurable, pleasant to the highest degree, and appropriate. What good things does God desire for our lives? The answer can be found in a variety of biblical truths.
When we seek and long for God when are given satisfaction.
Psalm 63:1-5 NKJV — "O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips."
Psalm 65:4 NKJV — "Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple."
Psalm 107:8-9 NKJV — "Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness."
John 6:35 NKJV — "And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
God’s righteousness brings about fulfillment.
Matthew 5:6 NKJV — "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."
Believers should crave to be filled with the mercy of God.
Psalm 90:14 NKJV — "Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!"
The ability to approach God and petition our needs before Him should bring about gratification when our prayers are answered.
Matthew 7:11 NKJV — “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"
Christians should yearn to be filled by every provisionary means that stems from the hand of God.
Psalm 145:16 NKJV — "You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing."
The Lord satisfies us by His open hand of love, joy, peace, kindness, protection, deliverance, faithfulness, and so many others things in association with Him being a God of promise and provision. Every blessing that stems from the hand of God satisfies our needs whether those needs are spiritual, emotionally, or physically. “Charles Spurgeon told this story of his grandfather James and his faith in God. “He had a large family and a very small income, but he loved his Lord, and he would not have given up his preaching of the gospel for anything.” One day the cow on which the family relied for milk for the children suddenly died. James Spurgeon’s wife was greatly concerned, but he said, God said He would provide, and I believe He could send us fifty cows if He pleased. On that same day, a group met in London—a group James Spurgeon did not know—that wanted to help meet the needs of poor pastors. They raised a large sum of money, and began sending it to different pastors in need to help their families. When they reached the end of the list, there were still five pounds left. One man suggested sending it to James Spurgeon. Another said, “No, let’s not send just five pounds. Let me add five more to go with it.” Others joined in, and the day after his cow died, James Spurgeon received twenty pounds in the mail! You can trust God to keep His promises and provide for your needs. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 4:19.” 4
The Lord is the supreme satisfier of our lives in all facets. He is the source of our deepest satisfaction. The key to understanding this truth brings godly satisfaction to our inward being. Godly satisfaction is the state of finding contentment and delight in the Lord for His sovereignty, power, authority, position, and involvement in our lives. The very nature of comprehending that our lives are interconnected, intertwined, rooted, and ground in God should arouse our souls to bless the Lord for embedding within us a sense of divine fulfillment that is only found in Him.
The Treasury of David records that “soul-satisfaction loudly calls for soul-praise, and when the mouth is filled with good it is bound to speak good of Him who filled it. Our good Lord bestows really good things, not vain toys and idle pleasures; and these He is always giving, so that from moment to moment He is satisfying our soul with good: shall we not be still praising Him? If we never cease to bless Him till, He ceases to bless us, our employment will be eternal.” 5
Bless The Lord for Rejuvenating His People
In the latter part of verse 5, the satisfaction of the Lord yields rejuvenating results. David stated that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Moody Bible Commentary provides insight that “describing youth being renewed like the eagle is appropriate because the eagle is a symbol of strength, vitality, and endurance.” 6 God strengthens and gives stability to our lives by empowering us to live and grow in Him. The satisfaction that the Lord grants unto His people is a source of strength and power that renews the mind, body, and soul of every Christian. As we journey through life, there are things that cause us to be weary, depleted, emotionally drained, mentally exhausted, physically weakened, and spiritually fatigued. In these moments, when we realize that satisfaction is of God and not based on our current circumstances, His power invigorates us, strengthens us, rejuvenates us, and energizes us to be renewed in mind, body, and soul.
Psalm 23 is a prime example of being renewed and restored by God when we find ourselves in unfavorable situations as a result of our own doing or just as a result of the human experience in general. Psalm 23:3 is written "He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake."
The Life Application Study Bible reveals that “when we allow God, our Shepherd, to guide us, we have contentment and refreshment. When we choose to sin, however, we go our own way and cannot blame God for the environment we create for ourselves. Our Shepherd knows the “green meadows” and “peaceful streams” that will restore us. We will reach these places only by following Him obediently. Rebelling against the Shepherd’s leading is actually rebelling against our own best interests. Remember this the next time you are tempted to go your own way rather than the Shepherd’s way.” 7
Jeremiah 31:25 NKJV —“For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.” God renews us when we align our lives by His Word. The very nature of submitting our will unto the good things that the Lord desires for our well-being is actually beneficial to us. Submission unto the government of His good things enables us to live in a spiritually vibrant manner and reap the benefits of God’s renewing and sustaining power. The Word of God is the renewing agent through the inner working of the Holy Spirit. Psalm 19:7 ESV — "The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."
James Burton Coffman once said that "the reason that the law of the Lord is perfect is that it is able to convert the souls of men, as witnessed by countless generations of the faithful. Nothing except God's Word has ever been able to register an achievement as important as that." 8
Partaking of the good things of the Lord from His Word renews the consciousness of mankind to live godly as we operate within the parameters of His will. The things that God declares in His law refreshes our minds to adhere to God and the things that are for our good and His glory. God’s law rejuvenates the human soul. The Word of God removes darkness from our understanding and helps us to flourish within the light of God. Therefore, let us bless the Lord for the good things that He performs in our lives on a daily basis.
Resources
Henry, Matthew. “Complete Commentary on Psalms 103:5”. “Henry’s Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible”.
The Enduring Word Bible Commentary
https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/god-will-provide-for-his-children
The Treasury of David Volume 4, Psalms 88-110
The Moody Bible Commentary
The Life Application Study Bible
Coffman, James Burton. “Commentary on Psalms 19:7”. “Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible