Who Are You Talking To?
From Dust to Eternity - Psalm 103 - Part 2: We Can Speak to Our Soul
Welcome to “From Dust to Eternity,” a devotional commentary series on Psalm 103! Together, we'll explore the rich, deep, and profound psalm. Each message will focus on a specific aspect or verse, allowing us to appreciate the power and beauty of David's words truly. Our interest in this will be not only for the beauty and artistry of the lyrics by King David but for the enduring wisdom God placed in his heart to share with millions of readers who come after him.
Speaking to Your Soul
Both St. Jerome and St. Augustine spoke about the paradox of Scripture that it was shallow enough for a child to wade in but deep enough for an elephant to swim. As we begin our exploration of Psalm 103, I think you'll come to agree. We're about to get wet, and I hope you'll realize, as I have so often in studying God's Word, that the deeper we go, the clearer it get.
Let's start this journey with the first words of Psalm 103:
"Bless the Lord, O my soul..." --Psalm 103:1
At first glance, this seems straightforward enough. The author, the poet-king David, begins this psalm with a call to speak about God's goodness and tell of His wonder. In modern terms, we might say, "Praise God!"
But let's pause for a moment. Who is David talking to? Whose attention is he trying to grab?
Remarkably, he's not speaking to God. He's not addressing a congregation. He's not even praying. Nowhere in the entire psalm does David address anyone but his soul. He's not talking to God or praying to God. He's talking to himself and reminding himself of his blessings as a man of faith.
The Art of Self-Talk
If you've ever spoken to yourself in no uncertain terms, you've practiced the ancient art of self-talk - speaking to yourself openly and usually honestly. David has done this before. Consider Psalm 42:5:
"Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?"
He repeats the exact phrase in Psalm 43:5. He is talking to himself.
You might have missed this in reading Psalm 103 and Psalms 42 and 43. David is commanding an audience with himself to speak to himself. But this self-talk is not just for ancient practitioners. It is a helpful modern tool of psychology that we should remember, practice, and perfect.
Modern readers often think of the ancient people in the Bible as primitive in thought and word. They did not have the education and opportunities that we have today, we say. And that is undoubtedly true. But we should not be snobbish about modernity and fail to recognize ancient wisdom. Churchill said, "The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see."
David is doing something in this first verse that psychologists have only recently "discovered" and given a name. David is practicing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Psalm 103
The working premise of CBT is that psychological problems are caused by faulty thinking. When others do things that hurt us, we, in turn, feel hurt by them. But often, our hurt is unintended by them. They don't mean to insult us, ignore us, or disrespect us. We can take things personally that are not intended to be personal at all. It is not their actions that are wrong. It is our thinking about them that drives us into a ditch.
In CBT, individuals are taught to identify, challenge, and change their thought patterns. David, in his poetic and spiritual way, is doing just that. We do not know what prompted him to write Psalm 103. But we can say he's not passively waiting for his emotions to take charge of his inner life; he's actively directing his inner self to bless the Lord.
David is speaking to himself and bringing himself into a place of true worship. He doesn't want to hold anything back. He wants everything in himself to bless (praise) the Lord. And so he tells himself to do it! “Bless the Lord!”
This alone can change our lives. It means we are not consigned to live under the heavy burden of fickle emotions. We can speak to ourselves. Our emotions are real, but they should not be left without supervision. They cannot be left in charge of our lives. Whatever else David might have had to think or worry about (which he often wrote passionate psalms to express), we can say this: David commands his inner self (we will talk about the “soul” next time) to focus not on pressing problems but on the praiseworthiness of our God.
A Mirror Moment
Sometimes, in our lives, we need to have a hard or honest talk with ourselves. Some people refer to this as a "man in the mirror" moment because we are looking at ourselves face to face, as it were, and we are brutally honest with ourselves.
Psalm 103 is a "man and the mirror" moment for David. David is speaking to himself, saying that God has given him the most incredible blessings and joys he could ever imagine. Read a few more verses of the psalm and see that God has forgiven him fully for his sins and healed all his illnesses and diseases.
In front of his mirror (yes, they had mirrors in the time of King David, made of polished brass or metal), David surveyed his life and the God he loved and concluded that God was with him. He had forgiven his sins, even though they were many. And He had healed him.
But David isn't just observing these truths. He's commanding himself to respond to them. "Bless the Lord, O my soul," he says. It's as if he's grabbing himself by the shoulders, looking himself in the eye, and saying, "Listen up! Don't dare forget how good God has been to you. Don't dare let a single part of your being remain silent in the face of such goodness."
This is not passive reflection. This is active, intentional, and even forceful self-direction. David is not waiting for his emotions to align with the truth. He's ordering them into line.
And here's where it gets practical for us. We can do this, too. In fact, we must do this. Our emotions, left to themselves, are fickle. They rise and fall with the tides of circumstances. But the truth of God's goodness is a constant—an absolute—a North Star by which we can navigate of life.
So try this. Find a mirror. Stand in front of it. Look yourself in the eye and speak these words:
"[Your Name], listen. God has been good to you. He's forgiven your sins. He's healed your diseases. He's redeemed your life from the pit. He's crowned you with love and compassion. Don't let a day go by without praising Him. Don't let your troubles overshadow God’s goodness. Bless the Lord, O my soul. And all that is within me bless His holy name!"
Feel awkward? That's okay. Growth often feels awkward at first. Make it a frequent practice. Start your day with a "mirror moment." End your day with one. Do it in the middle of the day when stress is high, and patience is low.
This simple practice, this ancient wisdom from a shepherd king, can rewire our thinking and reframe the challenges we have. It can lift us out of the mire of circumstances and set our feet on the solid ground of God's unchanging character.
Looking Ahead
In the following messages, we'll go deeper into the concept of the "soul" in biblical understanding. What did David mean when he addressed his soul? How does this relate to our modern understanding? Stay tuned. We will continue our journey through Psalm 103, uncovering more of its riches and learning to apply its wisdom to our daily lives. We will see the beauty of David’s art form and the practical aspects of it as we consider our journey from dust to eternity.
Just to remind you, the goal of this series is not only to increase our knowledge about one particular psalm. That will happen, and you might never forget the words. You may even memorize parts of it. It is undoubtedly worthy of being remembered. However, the purpose of this in-depth study and application of any text of the Bible is to transform our hearts and minds and to help us love God more. As we study, let's be open to how God might speak to us through these ancient words.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. And all that is within me bless His holy name! --Psalm 103:1
Next time, we will look in-depth at the second half of the first verse. Trust me on this: there is plenty to see when we study God’s Word and remember the premise: the deeper we go, the clearer it gets.
SDG
The Rev. David Roseberry, an ordained Anglican priest with over 40 years of pastoral experience, offers leadership services to pastors, churches, and Christian writers. He is an accomplished author whose books are available on Amazon. Rev. Roseberry is the Executive Director of LeaderWorks, where his work and resources can be found.
Please respond or leave comments below. I’d love to know what you think.
Thank you for this series!