Reminders of Valentine’s Day are everywhere. When you are not in love and would like to be, this can be a discouraging week.

Whatever it is that is discouraging you, note the cure the psalmist David employed in Psalm 103:1-5. David talks to himself in a way that uplifts his soul. He tells his soul to bless the Lord and to remember the benefits of serving God.

David wrote this psalm to encourage himself in the Lord, something we need to do regularly. Instead of focusing on all of his problems, David decided to engage his will and rehearsed the goodness of God. He begins the psalm by blessing the Lord.

Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:1-2

Then, he speaks to his soul and reminds himself of all that God does for those who are faithful to Him. So if you feel discouraged, encourage yourself in the Lord. Use Psalm 103 and apply it to your life.

Psalm 103 says, the Lord:

1) Forgives all my sins. There is no need to live in condemnation or guilt. The past is forgiven and gone.

2) Heals all my diseases.  A bad report is subject to the healing power of Christ.

3) Redeems my life from the pit. And in that process, crowns me with love and compassion.

4) Satisfies my desires with good things. He renews my youth like the eagle’s.

This is only a partial list of all the benefits that come with serving God. Yes, bad news comes, life gets crazy and stressful, but we must remember who we serve and the blessings that come from being one of God’s children.

To fight discouragement, do what David did and encourage yourself in the Lord.