“Bless the Lord, my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, my soul,
And do not forget any of His benefits. Who pardons all your guilt, Who heals all your diseases.
Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with favor and compassion;”
Psalms 103 – 4
Do you remember our devotion last week when I talked about visiting a friend in palliative care? Well, I had gone to encourage him, but he instead encouraged me! I could not help but notice his joy and uplifting mood despite everything else that was going on around him. He requested that I read for him this text of our devotion. He spoke at length then summarized everything with the phrase, “Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget any of His benefits.”
Today as I read this song of elation, I remembered him. I bubbled with joy for the intense redeeming and blessing power of God. I was not excited about the joyfulness of blessings and why they come our way but because I recognize that they come. I thought about the blessings of forgiveness, health, joyousness, loving mercy, and the list kept on piling, blessing after another!
All these reminded me that we understand who we are, our reality, the very meaning of our existence, not by self-analysis and introspection, but by responding in blessing to God the Lord of life. All of us have at some point experienced joy at certain special moments when we enjoy the beauty of the created world, watch a lovely sunset, leave the first footstep in new-fallen snow, or listen to the humming of a bird in the backyard.
We recognize this joy when all seems right with the world and with us in it. We rejoice when we find a life partner, tear with joy at the birth of a child, pride in our heart at our childrens’ exploits; at anniversaries of relationships marked by love, or at the ending of a life well-lived. At such moments we know that we have received a blessing, and it may be hard for us to repress a smile.
Unfortunately, much of human life is troubled by misunderstanding, overestimating, or forgetting our place in God’s world. Many communities are marked by the relentless quest of people seeking power and prestige. This Psalms reminds us of the personal and communal blessings that we realize when we respond to God’s goodness in our lives despite everything that may be happening to us.
My friend’s emphatic emphasis on “Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget any of His benefits” despite the visible pain that he was enduring, reminded me that even amidst our unpalatable situations and vagaries of life, we can still recognize the blessings of God upon our lives and lift a song of elated worship in our hearts. Indeed, Christ – Our hope of glory is the ultimate benefit!
Prayer:
Precious Lord.
Thank you for loving and forgiving my sins.
Thank you that in your presence I am blessed beyond measure.
Fill my heart with gratitude, your joy, love, and peace.
Remind me not to forget any of your benefits.
Help me to live my life as a thanksgiving to your presence. Amen!