Bless YHWH, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless YHWH, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. (Psa 103:1-2)"Forget not all His benefits." There's the key phrase. There's the aim. There's the goal. David fills the psalm with things that God has done.
It's a good practice ... reminding ourselves of God's blessings. But, for a moment, I am looking at the first part. "All that is within me, bless His holy name!" That's a rather comprehensive calling, isn't it? "All that is within me." Not just my feet or hands. Not merely my mouth. Not simply my mind. All. It's reminiscent, in fact, of the "Great Commandment." "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matt 22:37). All that is within you. And we need to be reminded. Lots of Christians, for instance, tend to neglect the mind. We think that an emotional, "spiritual" love for God is the best. Jesus included "your mind" in it. Think in your love for Him. "Be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Rom 12:2). We seem to have a tendency to "surrender all" ... with parts in reserve. "Everything, Jesus ... except this ... right ... here." Our time or our money. Our way of relating to our spouse or our private obsession. David leaves room for none of it. "All that is within me bless His holy name!
It's really self-defeating when we refuse the "all." Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10) and we opt for "life" with limited abundance. God offers us blessings untold and we prefer some of our own sour fruits instead. If we nurtured this "all" concept, what a difference it would make. If we made a practice of blessing the Lord with all that is within us, what a change we would see in everyday existence. What are you holding back? And, why?
1 comment:
These reminders to orient our lives, feelings, and thoughts toward the worship and glory of God are important. In the last couple years, I've had a real heavy heart about the church's apparent neglect of the holiness of God and how that is reflected in so many minute details.
Post a Comment