There is something deeply intimate about the psalmist’s words in a particular verse of the Bible.

“Praise the Lord, oh my soul and forget not all his benefits.” – Psalm 103:2

He was not speaking to a crowd nor was he delivering a polished sermon to a waiting audience. Instead, he turned inward and spoke directly to his own soul: “Oh my soul…” It feels as though he grabbbed  himself by the shoulders and said with urgency, “Do not forget.”

Why such insistence? It’s because  forgetting comes naturally while remembering takes intention. We rarely struggle to recall what went wrong, what we didn’t get or who did us bad. The sting of disappointment, bitterness of rejection or the pain of loss tends to linger vividly in our minds.

Yet when it comes to what went right; the mercies we received, the quiet provisions of people and God, the prayers answered in silence, we often let those slip away unnoticed.

The psalmist knew this about the human heart, how quickly blessings fade from memory and how easily gratitude is replaced with complaint. That’s why he spoke to his own soul with a command: forget not.

God’s benefits are endless, yet they are also deeply personal. They are not confined to dramatic miracles or grand moments of rescue but show up in the breath you just took, the meal that nourished you today, the forgiveness that covered yesterday’s stumble and the peace that carried you through last night’s storm.

They are the quiet answers to prayers whispered in the dark, the strength that came when you had none left, the protection from dangers you never even saw approaching and the wisdom that settled in your heart at the exact moment confusion threatened to overwhelm you.

The psalmist reminds us that it is not just some of God’s benefits we are to recall but all. Each act of mercy, whether small or great, is a thread in the fabric of his faithfulness.

To forget them is not to deny them but to take them for granted. When that happens, our hearts grow restless, pride takes root or despair begins to whisper that we are on our own.

In a world of constant updates and endless distractions, it is easy to forget not only what God did a year ago but even what he did this morning. That is why remembering must be practiced. It is like training a muscle.

When we choose to remember, gratitude grows louder than our complaints, hope begins to dig deeper than despair and faith becomes sturdier than fear.

Remembering changes us. It lifts our gaze from what we lack to what God has already provided. It shifts our perspective from discouragement to worship.

It humbles us when pride whispers that we earned what we have and it steadies us when storms threaten to pull us under. Remembering God’s benefits anchors the soul in His goodness.

Forgetting is easy while remembering is powerful. That is why the psalmist calls his soul to the discipline of memory. It is not optional advice; it is a matter of survival.

A soul that forgets God’s benefits becomes vulnerable to bitterness, pride and hopelessness but that which remembers, is strengthened, comforted and renewed.

So today, as you start this new day and week, pause, breathe and recall the ways God has carried you.

Has he forgiven you, healed you or crowned you with love and compassion? Has he led someone nice your way and renewed your strength when you thought you had nothing left to give?

If so, then your soul already has every reason to praise and forget not all his benefits.