We all face honest questions that come from the gritty places where experience rubs like sandpaper against the grain of truth and faith. In Psalm 103: 1-4, David demonstrates the role our self talk can play in strengthening our faith. Let your soul talk encourage you to hold fast to what is true about God despite the challenges you face. Remembering the benefits and goodness of God is a powerful part of worship that blesses the Lord and strengthens our faith.
The first few verses of Psalm 103 have been one of the many passages God continually speaks to my heart in a hard season. I’ve learned from the words, but also from the example of how David worships and prays.
How Do You Speak to Your Soul?
Do you ever talk to yourself? I do. Seems like there is a lot of chatter in my head. Some of it is helpful, but negative self talk can derail my attitude and perspective. Sometimes I mutter under my breath the thoughts I don’t want others to hear. These are grumbly thoughts, complaints, and often drip with resentment or sarcasm.
This isn’t the way David speaks to his soul.
Most of the time, my soul talk is silent before others but loud in my head. Frequently, my self-talk is critical, condemning, and discouraging. This self-talk isn’t the kind that builds up or accomplishes any good purpose. At times I talk to myself in ways I would never speak to someone else. I’m working on this bad habit, but my inner critic still hijacks my thinking more often than I’d like.
Do you ever say things like this to your soul?
“You idiot, why did you say that?”
“You’re hopeless.”
“Why can’t you do better?”
“What’s wrong with you?”
Do you know this toxic kind of soul talk? David demonstrates a powerful way to refocus our soul talk on the faithfulness of God.
Soul Talk that Strengthens Your Faith
“Bless the Lord, my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.”–Psalm 103:1
David’s soul talk strengthens his faith rather than tears himself or others down. His thoughts become an honest form of prayer.
- He coaches his heart to worship God in the midst of life as it is.
- He reminds himself to put his attention on God’s holy presence and benefit.
- He rehearses the goodness of God even in difficult times.
Sometimes we also need to preach to ourselves. Let your soul talk encourage you to hold fast to what is true about God despite the challenges you face.
When I shift my thoughts to worship and praise, I remember the reality that God will never stop being God.
If all that is within me is blessing God, adoring Him with a trusting heart, what’s left to wallow in worry or fester in fear?
Our soul talk can lead us to worship that changes the landscape of our heart.
Soul Talk that Blesses God
Isn’t it easy to overlook the goodness of God when we feel stuck in the hard? Intentionality in this passage goes two directions. One direction leads us to bless, praise, and adore the Lord. When David speaks to his soul, he affirms the importance of blessing the Lord from his deepest places.
A second way is the purposeful act of remembering the goodness of God. David realizes how easy it is to forget the many benefits of who God is and what He has done. The more we bless the Lord, the more likely we are to notice and appreciate all He has done on our behalf.
Benefits of God to Talk to Your Soul About
“Who pardons all your guilt,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with favor and compassion…”–Psalm 103:3-4
God forgives. Our deepest spiritual need is forgiveness of our sin that separates us from God. I’m so grateful that God pardons our guilt and forgives our sin, the root of every issue we face in life.
God heals. What a blessing to have a God who heals. Consider what this verse reveals about God’s heart and nature.
God redeems. The blessing of redemption is a powerful gift of God. Salvation includes the eternal as well as the daily. It spans eternity yet reaches into the intimacy of this very moment.
Forgiveness, healing, and redemption–what a powerful trio of life-changing blessings from God. These benefits reveal the heart and nature of God at work in our weakness.
Soul Talk When You’re Stuck in the Pit
We’ve all experienced times of “pit living,” seasons, circumstances, or mindsets that seem to keep us trapped. We’ve known days we can’t lift ourselves out of the depths. Our emotions see no way out, no solution at hand, no future to enjoy. In the dark of the pit, hope can be hard to access as circumstances seem to bury faith along with our dreams.
But God.
Here’s the truth: there is always a way when God is with us. From the pit we may not be able to see the way out, to access the solution, or to change our present reality. When the pit is all you can see, all you can imagine, remember today is not the end of your story. This may be the message your soul needs to hear today.
The pit will never define your identity or your future. We have a God who forgives our sin, heals our diseases, and redeems our life from destruction. These are the reminders our soul needs when life is hard.
Redemption is God’s Work
How many times have I worn myself weary with the work of trying to save myself, to scrape and claw my way out of the pit? How many times have you? To redeem is to purchase, to rescue, to deliver, to ransom, to avenge. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, we worship a God who redeems.
David demonstrates the value of soul talk that focuses on God rather than our problems. Practicing the presence of God rather than the persistence of our problems is one holy choice that changes our soul talk and our thinking. It is a powerful way of participating in the process of renewing our minds.
The Journey from Pit to Crown
The redeeming of our lives, our hopes, our future is the compassion and favor of God at work. From pit to crown, this is the redemptive journey of the life-restoring work of God. The favor, kindness, and compassion of God lifts us from defeat to victory.
Is your heart longing to see God’s favor in your life? Beautiful one, strengthen your soul by blessing the Lord. Lift your eyes from the pit. This is not where you belong. And it is not where you are going to stay.
Remember you have a God who redeems your life from the pit, saves you from destruction, and crowns you with favor and compassion.
How Do You Speak to Your Soul?
One of the most powerful ways you can bless the Lord is to remember who He is from the depths of the pit. Hang onto hope and trust God to be God. This is the conversation we need to have with our soul. Psalm 103 teaches us to speak to our soul in a way that blesses God and strengthens our faith.
Today, as you speak to your soul, remember you are forgiven, healed, redeemed, and crowned with the compassion of God.
Yes, my soul, remember this.
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So glad you're here. I help busy women—gals like you— build healthy habits for living well with biblical wisdom and practical steps to deepen your faith, increase your hope, and thrive in your purpose.
