"BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL" - Psalm 103:1

As with so many of David's psalms (songs), these words were written to express what he was feeling.  This was a poem sung by temple workers and written to remember all the good things God has done - He forgives, He heals, He redeems, He crowns you with love and righteousness, and satisfies your desires.  Is that not cause for celebration and praise?  The word "bless" in its original form (barak) means "to bend the knees, to praise or salute".  David's heart and soul were worshipping!

How wise of David - and of us - to remember His great love for us and all He has done.  Unfortunately, too often we remember and mourn our sins, our failures and our disappointments.  Surely David gives plenty of evidence in other psalms of his emotional lows.  Like Jeremiah, he can get pretty heavy with his laments about how hard his life is.  Perhaps that's why we identify with so much of what he's written.

We have a choice every day to celebrate or curse.  The Daily Bread devotional several years ago said "we invite defeat when we remember what we should forget".  David was remembering what he should remember and forgetting what he should forget!  I am doing Nancy Leigh DeMoss's "A 30-day Study in the Psalms" and in it she quotes Martyn Lloyd Jones:

"...defy yourself...and other people...

and the whole world and say...'I shall yet

praise Him for the help of His countenance'".

We have a choice today to live sad, defeated lives or to celebrate God's goodness with David and sing "Bless the Lord, O my soul".  What are your lips saying today?

For further study:  Exodus 15:1-18, Psalm 33:1, Psalm 42:1-2, Psalm 104:33-34, Psalm 142:7, Isaiah 42:10, Matthew 5:16, Colossians 3:16, Philippians 4:8-9, James 5:13

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

This is Lake Michigan and has been my daily reminder of God's goodness and power!

Love,

Holly