“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.”
We often ask the Lord to bless us and we thank Him for His blessings. But in today’s verse, King David urges his soul to bless the Lord. In this context, the phrase ‘bless the Lord’ can be translated as ‘praise the Lord with affection and gratitude’. We are called to remember the benefits we’ve reaped through our relationship with God and praise Him with a heart of gratitude.
One way to develop a heart of gratitude is to make a daily list of things you’re grateful for. Jot down everything you’re grateful to God for – from being able to get a cab at rush hour to finishing a project within the deadline. Thank God for who He’s been to you each day – Father, Provider, Friend, Protector… As you do, you’ll be more aware of His goodness in your life. This will give rise to the habit of blessing His Holy Name on a daily basis.
Another way to bless the Lord is by passing on His goodness to someone around you. The UN has declared today, 20th February, as the World Day of Social Justice to tackle issues like poverty, exclusion, inequality, and unemployment. As people who’ve received innumerable blessings from the Lord, let’s make it our mission to work towards social justice by shining the light of the Lord Jesus Christ in this dark world and establishing His Kingdom around us.
Written By: Bro Andrew Richard