Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Psalm 103:1 MEV
Had a great visit with my son, Jonathan, daughter-in-love, Melissa and two of my grandchildren, Samantha, 4 and Stephen 2, this past weekend. Had to share the ages, because they grow up so quickly.
As I was about to leave, Melissa asked the children to recite the verse that they say each morning. Stephen started off and said “Blessed”. Samantha quietly shared the verse in its entirety. Then she shared it again, but I joined her saying it with fun, joy, boldness and enthusiasm. We laughed and I said, “that is a great thing to say over yourself in the morning.”
Have you ever watched someone that is emotionally down and is acting in a way that perpetuates their problem? You might think, “they could be better, if they just had a good talking to”. This Psalm is a declaration of God’s goodness in which David starts by talking to himself. It’s as if he points his finger and then turns it back toward his own heart and says, “YOU, David, Bless the Lord.” It is so important to say the right words over and toward our on lives.
“Bless” in this context means to worship such as kneeling down in honor. So many viewpoints about our struggles change when we start from this action. David is stirring up his emotions to direct them toward God.
When Paul refers to soul in the New Testament, He is referring to the mind, will, and emotions. In the Old Testament, the “soul” refers more to all of a person’s being. The Bible records God’s breathed into Adam and He became a living being (a soul). So, David is reminding himself to be fully focused. He wants to include, his body, mind, and heart affections in devotion to God. He reiterates this thought by saying again “all that is within me”.
The second word “bless” is not in the original text rather, it is used by implication of the focus of the action. The action is to bless. The recipient is God and what is holy about his name or character.
My college English teacher would have like this first sentence for it leads to the question, “What makes God special to deserve our worship? How has God worked in our lives to deserve Praise?”
As you contemplate the answer to those two questions, speak aloud this verse over your life…you will be glad you did.
Blessings, Love y’all