Devotions - Prayer

To Bless God simply means to bow in reverence. We can’t bless the Lord with stuff.. but we can bless him with US.

Life is all a beautiful continual of lessons and blessings. No bad, horrible days and events are any reason for regret.
God’s plan is perfect! And his lessons are full of love and nothing else.
His lessons and teaching not only prepare us for the joyous life he wants for us– they also continue to strengthen our faith bringing US closer to JESUS where we belong!

* In our Weakness is the stage that God demonstrates His strength.

” 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: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  Psalm 103:1–5    
David, here, is speaking to his own soul. In effect, he’s saying to his soul, “Don’t be sluggish, don’t be unthankful, don’t be unresponsive. Bless the Lord for all His benefits,” and then he lists in succession six specific benefits.      

*Number one, the Lord forgiveth all thine iniquities.  Regardless if I hurt him, displease him, or ignore him, he forgives all my sins.
     
* Number two, He healeth all thy diseases.      All the scars on my skin and the sickness within my body, and even the sickness mentally and emotionally, he’ll patch right up for me.

* Number three, He redeemeth thy life from destruction.  From the traps I have fell into, he’s reached out his hand.
     
*Number four, He crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies.
He’s been my only true friend with an undying affection for me.

*Number five, He satisfieth thy mouth with good things.  I may not seem to have much to flaunt, but what I do have has certainly been an awesome blessing, even the things I never even asked for. I’m grateful.
    
*Number six, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  Much of all these benefits He’s blessing me with is really all for my spiritual well being. So that it’s “renewed like the eagle’s”.
  
Surely if we understand these six unchanging benefits and mercies of the Lord, then we need to do as David did to his own soul.
* It Must Be Personal–We need to say to our soul, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name.”
*If we don’t do that, it’s surely evidence that we’re forgetting His benefits.
* We can’t give god measured praise. We’ve got to give him our all. He wants it all.
*One good way never to forget those benefits is to stir up our soul and bless the Lord at all times.
*By serving God and following his commandments, we shall receive his mercy and amazing grace.

** Enjoyment does not reside in increased possessions; it is a gift that God must give. If He withholds it, no amount of effort is going to extract enjoyment from things. That is a difficult lesson for some to learn. Enjoyment is a gift of God.

**Gratitude only comes when we feel we do not deserve something, but we get it anyway.

This book of wisdom exhorts us to receive everything with a grateful heart, realizing that we do not have it coming; it is a gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 7:14  Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.
*Even if it is painful for the moment, there is a wise Father who has chosen it for you, and it will yield to you great and rich benefits. You can be grateful for the pain as well as the pleasure; that is the lesson of this book.
* Whatever you have in life, remember it was given to you by God.
* Count your blessings and name them one by one!  The good times are FROM GOD, so when good times are here enjoy them as best as you can. They are gifts from God, don’t waste them.
* At least everyday say thank you to the Lord.
* God is a miracle worker!!
* Goodness and mercies shall follow me all the days of my life!

All through the Scriptures we are told that the proper relationship of a believer to God, and that which pleases Him, is to give thanks for everything:
*“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

The loving forgiveness of our Heavenly Father is like no other:
* He takes our sins and cast them into the sea.  He Gives us yet another chance .
*God is also a God of redemption… He paid the price for sins we haven’t even committed yet.
**How can We Not Bless a God who has done these things for US.
**Even if I wanted to just go on, I HAVE to praise Him. I HAVE to bless Him. There is no other way. Bless the Lord O MY soul!

Galatians 3:13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.
*All of these benefits came at the expense of Jesus Christ sacrifice on the cross.
*The finish work of the cross allows us to have these benefits that we don’t deserve.  FREE GIFT!
******THIS IS GRACE!!!!!!

Lord. I have tasted the frustration of living for things that in the end do not fill me with joy but deprive me of it. Teach me to live gratefully, even when life is painful, knowing that You are still in charge and working and working out Your purpose in my life for Your Glory.
Thank you Lord Jesus for blessing me!  Amen