Good morning to you!
Last Sunday our pastor preached on Psalm 103 - A Summons to Our Souls to Praise. Here is a short summary from my notes on his sermon.
Psalm 103:1-5
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: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
What is this psalm's distinctive ministry? Notice how the psalm begins and ends (vs. 22) with the same sentence - "Bless the LORD, O my soul."
He pointed out that when we speak those words, we are addressing ourselves. We are telling ourselves to "Bless the LORD."
And how are we to do that? By giving thanks, being glad, magnifying the LORD, rejoicing. It's a distinctive way of blessing the LORD for what He has provided for us.
Ephesians 1:3 says....blessed be God...who has blessed us...with all spiritual blessings.
What is a blessing? It's a benefit, a favor that God hands to us.
It's praising Him in being the Blesser. To credit Him as being the one who blesses us. He is the source of all my blessings and benefits.
Pastor pointed out that the place to start is with our memory - not our feelings. Start remembering the blessings of the LORD. While we are going through trials, we don't feel very blessed, do we? It's hard, right? That's why we need to use our memory of what the LORD has blessed us.
Then we can bless HIM in return for His goodness.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day!
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