Forget Not All Benefits

Psalm 103:1–5  “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

THE DISCIPLINE OF DELIBERATE THANKFULNESS

Psalm 103 is one of David’s greatest hymns of gratitude. What makes it striking is how it begins—not with a complaint, not with a request, not with a burden—but with a command to himself:“Bless the LORD, O my soul.”

Before he leads others in praise, David preaches to his own heart. He understands something we forget: gratitude is not a feeling—gratitude is obedience. It is a deliberate choice to remember what God has done.

David knows his soul is prone to drift, to forget, to grow dull. So he commands it:“Forget not all His benefits.”

On Thanksgiving Day, when homes are full and schedules are busy, Psalm 103 calls the believer to pause, not simply to enjoy a holiday, but to practise a holy discipline—the discipline of remembering.

David then begins to list the mercies of God, giving us a structure for biblical thanksgiving.

1. REMEMBER HIS FORGIVENESS

“Who forgiveth all thine iniquities.”

Forgiveness is first because everything else depends on it. David does not say God forgives “some” or “most”—but all.Every sin. Every failure. Every dark moment.

A forgiven Christian is a thankful Christian. The world offers ways to manage guilt; Christ alone removes it. As Howell Harris once testified, forgiveness lifts the weight of a century in a moment.

Today, remember: you stand clean because of Christ. That alone is reason to bless the Lord.

2. REMEMBER HIS HEALING

“Who healeth all thy diseases.”

This is not a promise of a life without sickness. David is speaking of the God who heals the diseases of the soul—fear, anger, pride, bitterness, addiction, despair.The Great Physician treats wounds that medicine cannot see.

Many believers can look back and say:“God healed my mind. God restored my heart. God pulled me out of a place I could not escape.”

Thanksgiving grows where we remember the wounds He has healed.

3. REMEMBER HIS PROTECTION

“Who redeemeth thy life from destruction.”

David remembers how often God spared him—from enemies, from sin, from death, from his own foolishness.Every believer has a similar story.

You and I are not alive today by accident.Your past could have destroyed you.Your choices could have ruined you.Sin tried to claim you.The devil wanted you.

But God intervened. Mercy stepped in. Grace preserved you.

Thanksgiving includes praising God not only for what He has given, but for what He has prevented.

4. REMEMBER HIS PROVISION

“Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies.”

To be “crowned” means to be surrounded.Every day, every breath, every answered prayer, every mercy you did not deserve—these are crowns God places on His children.

George Müller recorded thousands of answers to prayer, not because he had great faith, but because he remembered that God is always faithful.

Look around your table today—every plate, every person, every memory is a crown of lovingkindness.

5. REMEMBER HIS RENEWING STRENGTH

“Who satisfieth… so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

God not only forgave your past and sustains your present; He continually renews your strength.As the eagle sheds old feathers and grows new ones, God renews the inner man day by day.

A thankful heart is a strengthened heart.A forgetful heart becomes a weary heart.

Not through trends. Not through emotion. Not through novelty.Renewal comes through remembering.

A THANKFUL SOUL IS A STRONG SOUL

Thanksgiving is not seasonal—it is spiritual.It is not a holiday—it is a habit.It is not cultural—it is commanded.

Psalm 103 calls us to:

• Bless the Lord with our whole soul• Remember His benefits intentionally• Fight forgetfulness with worship• Anchor our hearts in the unchanging goodness of God

Culture shifts. Circumstances shake.But the benefits of God remain firm.

Today, let memory awaken worship. Let worship awaken gratitude. And let gratitude renew your strength.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”