Bless the LORD, O my soul: And all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: Psalm 103:1-2 KJV
Context and Charge:
It is easy to claim the blessings of David; the question would be: "Can you live the praise lifestyle of David"? This man had a song of prayer, praise or penitence about everything in his life. He wasn't someone who delayed returning to God as soon as he knew he had sinned. He was a man who would speak to God about every stage of his life: from the life of a shepherd boy to the life of the shepherd-king of Israel. He even had a song of repentance when he committed murder and adultery in the space of a few days. How would God not be moved to call a man like this 'a man after my own heart? Can you live like this man?
He makes this personal, just like all things with God must be. It is my personal encounter that will encourage another. It is my personal encounter that will serve as a constant reminder of God's faithfulness and mercy. How do I show off God's grace if I do not even recognise God's dealings with me? The word used here is BLESS. I would have thought that it is only God who blesses, but David makes it clear here that as a man, I have what it takes to bless God too. That is an awesome responsibility. The blessing must come from the soul, the place where all of my life's actions and decisions are first planned and fleshed out, before execution.
Conviction and Conclusion:
I must believe it first, before I can achieve it. Blessing God is done from a heart that knows the power, wisdom, authority, ability and capacity of this God. It is done with the understanding that God alone really deserves to be worshipped as Lord, Saviour, Master, Father and Friend. It is worship, praise and exaltation of this God. Please note that the above does not yet even talk about the things this God can do or give, but first about who God is. The second verse now speaks to what this God has done; the benefits he has now given to David. You really cannot begin to understand what this God can do until you have fully understood who He is.
He stakes his name and reputation on who he says He is and what He can do. The same God checks all the boxes, as He is not limited by time, space or circumstances, but I must not seek out just the benefits, whilst ignoring the amazing and the miraculous impact that blessing God holds. It is only in God that the past, present and future all align to carry out God's perfect will. God wants to bless me with his benefits, but can He trust my heart to bless Him at all times, no matter what he brings my way or allows me to experience? Sometimes, the benefits are disguised as pressure, but if my heart is right, I will never lose sight of who He is, and what He can do. God's time of favour is here.
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