Throughout the Bible, a multitude of people are recorded as having praised God for His goodness. For example, the psalmist David writes the following words in Psalm (63:3-5): “Because Your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips.” In another instance, when Mary, who was carrying Jesus at the time, had visited with Elizabeth, she wrote these words of praise about God in Luke (1:46, 47): “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”
There are many reasons why David, Mary, and many other praised God in their lives. David Himself, in Psalm (103) gives us plenty reasons as to why he praised God. These same reasons of praise have stood the test of time and should serve as a source of motivation for us to praise God continually as well.
In this psalm, David tells us we should praise and bless God at all times because: He forgives us all our iniquities (vs. 3), heals all our diseases (vs. 3), redeems our lives from destruction (vs. 4), crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies (vs. 4), satisfies our mouths with good things (vs. 5), executes justice and righteousness for all who are oppressed (vs. 6), is merciful, gracious, and slow to anger (vs. 8), has not punished us in the manner we deserve, (vs. 10), has removed our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west (vs. 12), pities those who fear Him (vs. 13), and remembers our frame because we are but dust (vs. 14).
Truly, our God is worthy to be praised! What are doing each day to praise God and bless His name? How do you express thanksgiving unto Him that in turn glorifies and magnifies His magnificent name?
