Nobody Loves Me

Read Psalms 102:1–104:35

2. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
4. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
6. The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. . . .
8The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
10He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:2-6, Psalm 103:8-12

Some people live on the dark side of the moon. Phone them and they give you an earful about how the world is mistreating them. They can’t think of anything for which to be thankful, and reminding them of their blessings only seems to irritate them.

Psalm 103 provides a great example. It’s a count-your-blessings psalm, a simple reminder to be thankful.

The other two psalms in this reading also give us reasons to be thankful. Psalm 102 teaches us how to receive God’s comfort when we’re in distress. Psalm 104 helps us appreciate God through his creation and the way he cares for it.

David’s praise in Psalm 103 focused on God’s glorious deeds (Psalm 103:3-19). People often complain when they are tired, needy, and frustrated. But David’s list gives us plenty for which to praise God: God forgives our sins, heals our diseases, redeems us from death, crowns us with love and compassion, satisfies our desires, and intervenes for people who suffer injustice (Psalm 103:1-22).

The best part is that we receive all these blessings without deserving any of them. And God never shows partiality—giving good things to his favorites and leaving out the others.

No matter how difficult your circumstances are today, count your blessings—past, present, and future. Keep them in mind when you feel as though you have nothing for which to praise God. If that doesn’t work, remind yourself of what God has done for you by reading David’s list.