" Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. - Psalm 103:1 "
Just like the colloquialism "stop and smell the roses," many of us have heard this verse quoted or read, but we often have rushed right by it without sensing the aroma it really gives. "Bless the Lord, O my soul ..." is an imperative for you and me to take the initiative to bless the Almighty God. Imagine that ... we, as the 'created,' are blessing the Creator! We are to bless the One Who is above all things, the very God of the Universe. "To bless" means 'to thank,' 'to congratulate,' and/or 'to kneel in adoration.' That is the attitude and posture we should assume when in the presence of our Heavenly Father ... and that really is all the time!
Usually, we think in terms of being the object of being blessed. Instead this scripture encourages us to do the blessing. Too often our attitude is one of "what have You done for me lately" with self in the center of the circle. We pray for blessing; we identify all the things we think we need and subsequently, our focus can turn inward and away from a position of humbleness. Here, the psalmist is encouraging us to bless the Lord with all that is within me. The meaning of the Hebrew word translated "within" literally means "the center." So from the very center of our being ... our soul ... should spring a heartfelt blessing toward the Lord. It is amazing how getting outside of ourselves and our circumstances and focusing on God Himself can change our attitudes and demeanors. Try it. You may be surprised. When we focus on God's greatness with our praise, our problems seem so much smaller.
We want to have an attitude of humbleness surrounded with love and compassion as the Truth of Jesus Christ is presented. You have blessed us with your support, your prayers and your comments. It is our prayer the Lord will use these efforts to truly bless others as we bless Him.
The gospel really is simple ... Jesus, the Son of God, died for our sin and failure; He rose from the dead to conquer the consequence of that sin, and He lives today to provide us an eternal relationship with Him. Now that's a blessing. We should be careful to acknowledge that very fact in our heart's posture toward Him today. Truly, we are blessed to be a blessing! Stop ... smell the roses ... and may your attitude to those around you be a sweet aroma to the Lord above.
