Day 6: Remember God’s goodness!

Yesterday, we’ve seen the first decision David made: to bless the Lord. Now, we are going to look at the second decision that was contained in the words of Psalm 103:1-2: don’t forget. I’d like to translate that in a positive form this way: focus your mind on. If you decide not to forget something, then you’re deciding to remember it. You’re focusing your mind on it. It’s tremendously important in the spiritual life what we focus our mind on. We cannot think right and live wrong. And we cannot think wrong and live right. One part of the book of Proverbs says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” So this decision to think on the right things is critical.

What was it that David decided he would focus his mind on? He says, “...the Lord’s benefits.” In the next three verses, he enumerates six specific benefits of the Lord which he was determined to keep his mind focused on. Listen to these benefits: the Lord:

“1) Who forgiveth all thine iniquities (it’s addressed ‘thine’ because David is talking to his soul);2) who healeth all thy diseases; 3) who redeemeth thy life from destruction; 4) who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5) who satisfieth thy mouth with good things and 6) so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

The Hebrew in “He crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies” means He surrounds us and also He treats us like royalty. There’s a question as to how that word that’s translated mouth in “He satisfies our mouth with good things“ should be translated. There are various different ways of translating it but let’s say He satisfies something in us with good things. Notice that, as a result of all this, our youth is renewed like the eagle’s, which is the last benefit.

The way we focus our mind in this matter is going to determine our experience. Not our emotions, but the decision of our minds. Forgetting is the way to lose the benefits. Focusing on them is the way to enter into them. If you forget them, you won’t experience them. Focusing our mind, I want to say once more, is a decision of our will. Listen to what Paul says in Philippians 4:8:

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if [there’s] anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.”

That’s the same principle. You can determine what to focus your mind on. Here’s something that’s very important for all of us to remember: our mind should be our servant, not our master. I want to ask you this: Does your mind dictate to you what it thinks about? Or do you dictate to your mind what it thinks about? You see, that’s a decision that the will has to make.

What were the two decisions that David asked his soul to make in that passage?

Number 1: to bless the Lord

Number 2: to focus his mind on the Lord’s benefits.

Let me recommend those two decisions to each one who reads this. Decide to bless the Lord. Decide to focus your mind on His benefits. That’s how you’ll experience them.