This is the 5th and final article looking at Psalm 103. Along the way, we have explored the unspoken questions that seem to move the psalm along. The final few verses return to the original question of “Where to begin?” Perhaps we could rephrase and ask, “Where next?”
“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. Bless the Lord, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! Bless the Lord, all you His angels, You who serve Him, doing His will. Bless the Lord, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the Lord, my soul!” (Psalm 103:19–22, NASB 2020)
The final stave of the psalm is a crescendo moment. The psalm brought us down to the intimate connection between God and us. In the final verses, it explodes out to the awesomeness of God on the largest scale possible. God’s sovereignty, His kingdom, and His will rule over all – from the smallest atom to the whole of the cosmos. The mystery of the Gospel is that the same God that rules universes loves us and calls us by name.
Yes, Angels are doing God’s bidding. But notice, the psalm doesn’t praise or pray to the angels, but worship and blesses God. And we, when we walk in obedience to share the Gospel, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for widows and orphans, visit prisoners, and much much more, we are fulfilling our role as God’s servants. In some small way, we are like angels. Not seeking anything other than to serve our Lord and Savior.
So often, we approach God with prayers, asking for blessings for ourselves and others. There’s nothing wrong with that; in fact, I think we need to ask for God’s blessings on others much more frequently – especially for those who don’t deserve it. Asking for God’s blessing doesn’t make someone richer or prosperous; it asks for God’s best to be poured out upon them. And what is God’s best? Himself and the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). But the psalm points us in the other direction.
Along with asking for blessing, we are to speak blessing to the Lord ourselves. And in return, we are blessed as well. And as we are blessed by God in our soul, we are able to bless others in word, deed, and prayer. Bless the Lord, oh my soul!
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