Silent Wonder

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.  Psalm 103:1-5, NKJV

This Psalm teaches us adoration.  Adoration is not thanksgiving; it is silent wonder.  I once saw a striking instance of this in a sick one, who said to me, "I got such a sight of the Lord Jesus  -  His wonderful Person  -  His finished work  -  that at last I was obliged to stop giving thanks, and just look, look, look!"

Adoratrion is wrought in us by the Holy Ghost, and it is very sanctifying when He gives us such moments of nearness to Himself.  This psalm is a call to praise "His holy Name."  His doings come after.  His holy Name is the fountainhead; His doings, the streams from Lebanon.  We are called to praise Him because:

1. He forgives all our iniquities. Our first true acquaintance with God is when He pardons us.  He does not leave a single sin resting on the conscience; the blood that cleanses one sin cleanses all. For our sins are linked together, one great awful chain round our soul, and God takes hold of the first link, and so casts the whole chain "into the depths of the sea."

2. He heals all our diseases.  I like to think of the palsied man brought by his four friends to Jesus, and Jesus looking on him, and saying, "Your sins are forgiven you."  Then a few minutes after, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."  When God takes away our sin He does not forget our bodily trouble.  He may not heal us completely, but He takes the sting out of the disease.

After pardon He gives healing of the soul's diseases.  It is in the repeated use of the forgiving blood, day by day, that we mortify our corruptions, just as it is by the blood that we quench the fiery darts of the devil.  There is not a corruption over which He will not give you victory.

3. He redeems our life from destruction. We every day escape dangers that we are not aware of.  If we but saw the snares Satan lays for us spiritually, how we would adore the Lord who enables us to escape them all!  How often the devil tries to make us unwatchful, or gives us false peace, but God is watching over us, and He redeems our spiritual life from these spiritual injuries.

4. He crowns us with loving-kindness.  Look at the comforts of your lot.  Think of the spiritual mercies of your life.  "Bless the Lord, O my soul!"  Is He not satisfying your mouth with good things?  Faith has a good memory; unbelief forgets.  Let us ask the Lord to give us better memories for all His benefits, that we may fix our minds on His grace, in spite of all that may happen to us.
  (by Andrew Bonar (1810-1892),minister of the Free Church of Scotland. Prayer Point, Spring 2013,
     www.samaritanspurse.org)