Forget Not

Mar 14 2025 - Eric Buresh

And forget not all His benefits. 

Psalm 103:2 

There is a great disease which afflicts the heart of man: forgetfulness. We forget what we ought to remember and remember what we ought to forget. If a man wrongs us, we engrave it in marble; but when God grants ten thousand mercies, we write them in the sand. 

David, that sweet singer of Israel, knew this tendency in himself, and so he takes his soul by the hand and gives it a solemn charge: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”  If David needed to preach this to his own soul, how much more must we! We are prone to be unthankful. Our eyes are quick to see our trials, but they are dim to the mercies of God. We complain of a thorn in our foot while standing in a field of flowers. If there is one dark cloud, we fix our gaze upon it and forget the many rays of sunshine that warm our backs. 

David begins his list of blessings with the greatest of all: “Who forgives all your iniquities.” If we forget everything else, let us never forget this! That God, against whom we have sinned, has taken our sins and cast them into the depths of the sea! That He, who is holy and just, has accepted the sacrifice of His Son and has declared us righteous in Christ! 

The psalmist continues: “Who heals all your diseases.” He speaks not only of the body, but of the soul. What sicknesses has He healed in you? The fever of temptation? The leprosy of pride? The paralysis of doubt? The blindness of ignorance? The deadness of sin? How often has the Lord restored our souls when we were ready to faint! 

David sings, “Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.” What a phrase! Not only has He forgiven and healed us, but He has crowned us! And with what? With lovingkindness—His covenant love, His unfailing favor, His infinite tenderness. He has not merely given us mercy, but tender mercy—mercy wrapped in kindness, mercy that meets our weakness with gentleness. Rember how the Lord has dealt with you! 

David goes on, “Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”  The Lord gives His children the finest of foods. Have you not tasted and seen that the Lord is good? Think of the joys He has given you in Himself—peace that passes understanding and joy unspeakable. He has given you His Spirit, His word, His promises, and the fellowship of His saints. Forget not His benefits! 

If we have been forgetful, let us confess our ingratitude today. Do not wait for your heart to feel grateful—command it to be so! Count your blessings, name them one by one. Set aside time daily to recall His mercies. Sing of His goodness. Testify of His grace. And above all, look unto Jesus, for in Him all these benefits are found in their fullness. He is our pardon, our healer, our satisfaction, and our crown!