Psalm 103:1-5 - "Who Heals... Who Redeems..."

In Psalm 103, it appears that David is determined not to forget all the benefits and blessings that the LORD has bestowed upon him. And despite all the problems and difficulties and challenges that he had to face throughout his life, David is going to praise the LORD for them.  In James we are reminded that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”  We so easily forget His blessings, especially when we are going through a dark and difficult time. But that is the time to remember His goodness and all His benefits and proclaim with David, “Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!   Yesterday we talked about the benefit of forgiveness. I’m convinced that one of the greatest human experiences that we can have, is to know that we are forgiven by God. It is a wonderful thing that a friend or family member might forgive us for an offence that we committed against them. But they can’t forget what you did, and sometimes it comes back up. But when God forgives us, it is not just wonderful, it is incomprehensible!!!! He not only forgives our offence, our sin, our transgressions, and iniquities, He will never again hold them against us. He “cast them all behind His back” (Isaiah 38:17) and forgets them. He “cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19), where they can never be found!   David also says that we should praise and bless the LORD because He is able to heal every disease (Matt. 9:35). But we need to remember that He is not obligated to do so. The Apostle Paul healed people on many occasions in his missionary ministry, and even raised the dead, but he was not able to heal two of his friends He mentions Epaphroditus in Philippians 2:25-30, and in 2 Timothy 4:20, he says, “…but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.”  Paul told his son in the faith, Timothy, to take some medicine for his stomach ailment and his frequent infirmities (1 Timothy 5:23). Paul prayed to be healed of “a thorn in the flesh” at least three times but the Lord finally assured him that His grace was sufficient, and in his weakness, he could experience God’s strength. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).   David's own baby son died in spite of his fasting and praying (2 Sam. 12:15-23). We need to remember that the believer's body will not be completely delivered from weakness and disease until it is redeemed and glorified at the return of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:18-23). We will experience ultimate healing when we enter into the presence of the Lord after we draw our last earthly breath! But even today, we can experience His healing presence in the midst of our pain and suffering. “He sent His Word and healed them….” (Psalm 107:20). “…And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). By His grace and through His Word we can experience spiritual, emotional, and mental healing as we journey through this world of chaos and confusion.   In verse 4, David mentions that our life is “redeemed from destruction or the pit”.  The word "redeem" would remind the Jewish people of their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt at the Exodus (Ex. 12-15). They would remember the Passover Lamb that was slain and the blood that was applied to the door posts. The statement describes God rescuing someone about to fall into a pit, and "the pit" is a symbol of sheol (Psalms 6:5; 16:10; 28:1), the world of the dead.   For us today, Peter put it this way: “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).   I love the old hymn by Fanny Crosby that says, “Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child, and forever, I am.” Praise the LORD!   God bless!