What does Psalm chapter 103 mean?
David begins Psalm 103 by calling upon his soul and his whole being to bless the Lord and to remember all His benefits. These are blessings David has experienced within his own life. He lists some of those benefits: forgiveness, restored health, deliverance, love, satisfaction, and renewed energy (Psalm 103:1–5).David recalls the Lord's righteous deeds and justice. He showed Moses His ways and performed mighty acts on behalf of Israel. David assures his readers that the Lord is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, loving, and ready to forgive. The Lord's love is higher than the heavens, David affirms, and He removes transgressions as far as the east is from the west. This is an especially interesting analogy, since north and south are defined points, but east and west are infinite directions. One can only travel north so far, until they find themselves travelling south. This is not true of moving east or west. Furthermore, like a father, the Lord has compassion on His children and remembers that they are finite (Psalm 103:6–14).
Unlike man's fleeting life, the Lord's love and righteousness extend from generation after generation to those who obey Him. He is sovereign. His throne is settled in the heavens, and His kingdom holds sway over all (Psalm 103:15–19).
Psalm 103 concludes with a call to the Lord's angels and all His creation to praise Him. David addresses his closing words to his soul, commanding his soul to praise the Lord (Psalm 103:20–22).