"Bless The Lord, O My Soul!"    

Psalm 103:1-5

 

     "Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name." God's name represents who he is, embracing every attribute of his Being. Someone suggested, "Before we can thank God for his blessings we must thank him for his Being." This is what David stirs up his soul and ours to do.We must bless God for who he is: The Lord God Almighty, full of grace and truth (Psa.113:1-6;115:1,3;117:1-2;118:1;136:1-3;139: 1-24). It is the Lord God himself who is to be wellspoken of, eulogized, blessed with thanksgiving and praise (Eph.1:3)."Forget not all his benefits."There is no better way to stir up our hearts to bless the Lord our God than to recall all the benefits and blessings of grace we have personally experienced from him. Here are five things God has done and is doing for us in Christ, for which we should ever bless his holy name.

     "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities!" Our God is a God of forgiveness! He forgives all our sins; and God's forgiveness of our sins is a constant, perpetual act of grace through the blood of Christ (I John 1:9).

     "Who healeth all thy diseases!" Matthew Henry wrote, "The corruption of nature is the sickness of the soul; it is its disorder, and threatens death. This is cured in sanctification; when sin is mortified, the disease is healed."

     "Who redeemeth thy life from destruction!" Christ redeemed us when he died upon the cross (Gal. 3:13). He obtained eternal redemption for us when he entered once into the holy place with his own precious blood as our Representative (Heb. 9:12). This redemption is applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit in the new birth (Heb. 9:14). The power of redemption is experienced continually in our deliverances of grace (Psa.130:1,8).

     "Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercy!" Christ has made us kings and priests unto God; and he has crowned us with God's constant favor.

     "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." Nothing can satisfy the soul but Christ! Christ, who satisfies our souls, promises to continually renew and revive us by his grace. As God replenishes the eagle's feathers every year, so he recovers his saints from their falls and decays, filling them with new life and joy as their days demand.

 

 

Don Fortner