Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: "Apostle Tom" <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:12:17 -0500
To: pressingon@hotmail.com
Subject: Morning Manna (Oct. 15); BP: Ps. 103; RBTTY: I Thess. 3; Is. 45-46
October 15 “Bless the Lord, O My Soul”
“Bless the Lord, O my soul—and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name.”
Psalm 103:1
Ours is a reciprocal relationship with Him; He bestows and we bless.
Have you “blessed the Lord” this morning, Pilgrim? When you awoke from
a night’s sleep, were the first words out of your mouth “I bless you, Lord”?
Today, when the schedule’s jam-packed, the pressure’s on and you’re
feeling the heat, will you still bless Him?
It’s pretty difficult for us to understand how we can bless the God of
the universe when He’s the One Who made us and everything within it. It’s
like trying to find a present for someone who’s very wealthy and already has
everything. What in the world do you give them?
Today’s Manna helps us out by giving us a “Gratitude Guide” and “Praise
Primer” on how to “bless the Lord” and “bless His Holy Name.” The psalmist
is David, the shepherd-king, who walked with the Lord at a very early age as
he tended his father’s sheep out on the Galilean hills. And, even though he
sinned terribly against the Lord after moving Israel’s capital from Hebron
to Jerusalem, the God of Abraham still showed him great mercy and
forgiveness (Ps. 51).
The Hebrew word “barak,” used here for “bless,” basically is the
picture of “showing adoration by kneeling.” Thus, the meaning is clear:
The Heavenly Father bestows and, in thanksgiving and praise, we bless. It
is a spiritual “attitude of gratitude” whereby we acknowledge His loving
benevolence in our lives.
And, what better way to do this than by “not forgetting all His
benefits (Heb. ‘gemuwl’—‘treatment, act of goodwill, etc.’)” (v.2). David
then lists some of these: “Who forgives all our iniquities. . .heals all of
our diseases. . .redeems our life from destruction. . .crowns us with
loving-kindness and tender mercies. . .satisfies our mouth with good things,
etc.” (vv.3-5).
Oh, dear Pilgrim, are not these wonderful, “blessed benefits”?
Hallelujah!
That’s why we should always say with David, “The Lord is merciful and
gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide;
neither will He keep His anger forever” (vv.8-9). Glory!!
Then, when we realize “as the heaven is high above the earth, so great
is His mercy toward them that fear Him” (v.11) and “as far as the east is
from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (v.12). No
wonder John Newton was inspired to write the lyrics to “Amazing Grace” when
Jesus saved him after his having served for a long time (like his father) as
a captain on a slave ship.
So, back to the original question: “Have you blessed the Lord this
morning, Pilgrim?” If not, why not stop and do so right now? Then, ask the
Spirit to help you continue all day long in every situation. The Lord will
be blessed—and so will you.
_________________________________________________________________
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