April 26, 2024

10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

September 13, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
Psalms 103:1-5

The sun comes up; it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the Lord, oh my soul, oh my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, Oh my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name

You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
10,000 reasons for my heart to find
Bless the Lord, oh my soul

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
10,000 years and then forever more
Bless the Lord

Songwriters: Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin / Performed by The Rend Collective

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God’s Great Love

September 11, 2014 by

Give praise to the Lord, O my soul; let everything in me give praise to His holy name.
Give praise to the Lord, O my soul; let not all His blessings go from your memory.
He has forgiveness for all your sins; He takes away all your diseases;
He keeps back your life from destruction, crowning you with mercy and grace.
He makes your mouth full of good things, so that your strength is made new again like the eagle’s.
Psalms 103:1-5

These verses are so full of promises.  God loves us so very much.  He is merciful and quick to forgive us.  All God requires of us is to love Him and put Him first in our lives.  Before Abraham knew who God was…God loved him. Before Moses knew who God was…God loved him.  How much more does God love us?  (I would imagine much more!)

For those who are suffering, who are hurting, when no end seems to be there—know that God sees and will give you a renewed strength.

And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow,
and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage in which thou wast made to serve.
Isaiah 14:3

Who doesn’t know of someone that these words would minister to?  There will come a time of rejoicing.  A time when looking back at what was in the past will seem like a forever time ago.

Verse 5 of Psalm 103 refers to the eagle’s yearly removal of its feathers to allow new growth, therefore giving the illusion of youthful vigor.  How many times do we want to remove our troubles, our fears, our chains that bind us to earthly worries?  When we cast them onto God, we can rest assured that He will take care of them.  When we give Him our worries we should not be quick to take them back and take them on again. If our spouse or child is not doing what they should, it is for us only to live a life that is as free of sin as we can.  We will not be perfect.  In our human-ness we will fail but, with God’s grace and mercy, we will be shown how to live.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father, we humbly come before You and ask for direction.  We do not know how important our words or actions can be until it is sometimes too late.  We thank You for Your forgiveness.  We thank You for the ability to start again.  We pray for the courage to speak words that will build up, not tear down.  Help us to know when to be silent, and when to be so on fire for You that nothing or no one can stop us.  Help us be bold and courageous for You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

 

 

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The Pits

September 10, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all His benefits—
Who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
Who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalms 103:1-5

A pit.  This pit can take on many forms…it can be a pit dug by others, or a pit of our own making.  This passage doesn’t specify that He will only save us from what others do to us, but that He will “redeem your life from the pit”, even if we make it ourselves.  Where others will cover us in shame and anger, He will cover us with love and compassion.  He will not only save us from situations we create ourselves, but He will wrap His arms around us while doing it.  He promises that our desires will be met…He promises love, compassion…He promises forgiveness, and healing.

The difference between God’s promises and those we make (or those made to us by others), is that God’s promises ring true.  These promises will not be broken; they are not conditional.  In fact we are given these promises over and over again.  We are forgiven over and over again, we are loved always, we are healed, and we are clothed in compassion.  Such simple everyday concepts made beautiful; made permanent, made personal.

I will praise the Lord. My soul will sing His praises for all He has done for me, for all He will continue to do for me. I will praise His Holy name.

   *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, only You, Lord, know the workings of my innermost being.  Only You know when I need love and compassion.  Only You know when I truly need love and healing.  Only You understand when I need compassion.  Only You know when I need to be pulled from the pit.  Only You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

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Redemption From the World

September 8, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all His benefits—
Who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
Who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalms 103:1-5

I am going to go ahead and admit it.  I have played the lottery—both scratch-offs and picking the numbers.  It’s a temptation that is hard to avoid when I am in certain places—Florida and Georgia.  I am not going to lie.  It’s especially hard when you live right on the Alabama-Georgia border.  Thankfully, due to gas prices, I have a worldly reason to avoid it.

Winning the lottery or winning a prize can make anyone feel elated.  That elation only intensifies when you actually obtain the prize.  Many kids love to go to Chucky Cheese—not for the pizza—but for the games.  Kids play games there to win tickets.  And with those tickets, they can redeem prizes from the prize department.  Lucky are those who get enough tickets to win the oversized prizes like the big stuffed animal or toy (that you can get at a department store for way cheaper than what you paid in money for the games).  Redeeming the prize makes us feel good, but it is only finite.  The elation only lasts for so long.

O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.
Psalm 130:7

Yet there is a redemption that we can receive that is even better than redeeming a ticket for a prize—the gift of the Cross.  Jesus died on the Cross for our sins and transgressions.  He gave His own blood to redeem us from the fate of death and burning in the lake of fire at the end of time.  He redeemed us from the world because He loved us.  Jesus was thinking of us when the guards nailed Him to the Cross.  He was thinking of us when He drew His last breath. Jesus was redeeming us when He gave His life to save us from the sentence of death.

We receive this redemption upon welcoming Jesus into our hearts and entering into a relationship with Him.  He not only redeems us from death and sin, but He is our Rock and Foundation.  Jesus never leaves us and He gives His love unconditionally.  He is our Redeemer, Foundation, and so much more.

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the redemption that Your Son gives us upon our acceptance of Him.  Without Him we would surely not be able to escape the sentence of death at the final judgment.  He is our Rock and Foundation.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Jehovah Jireh

September 7, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
Psalms 103:1-5

As I read this passage “Jehovah Jireh” came to mind.  According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary the name “Jehovah Jireh” means, “Jehovah will see to it. Jehovah will provide.”  1 Timothy 6:17b (AMP) states we are to set our hopes “…on God, Who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for [our] enjoyment.”  God continually provides for us.  It is not a “one and done” event. He is always giving—concerned with even the smallest details of our lives.

In this passage there are at least six benefits mentioned that God provides:

  • Forgiveness
  • Healing
  • Redemption
  • Love, compassion & mercy
  • Goodness, good things
  • Renewal

Most of these are self-explanatory and such monumental occurrences that they are not easily forgotten.  But what about “goodness” and “good things”?  What does that encompass?

“All my need fully supplied, and everything “good.” Goodness is God expressed.”
– Frederick Whitfield

Good things not only supply our every needbut they are our personal blessing, our choicest favors.  They may not be monumental occurrences or breathtaking events.  Maybe they are small things we sometimes overlook, like finding a parking spot or campsite at just the right time in the perfect place.  Or having the sun break through just in time for a special event or occasion.  Perhaps it is a majestic view, a stunning sunrise, or a glorious sunset.  It could be something as simple as a reassuring or encouraging word appearing (and reappearing) at the point it is needed the most.  Often we fail to recognize these choice favors and we take these good things for granted.  Yet they are personal blessings designed specifically for us.

Psalm 116:12 (AMP) poses a very important question…

What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?
[How can I repay Him for all His bountiful dealings?]

How could we possibly repay Jehovah Jireh?  What could we offer Him?  1 Corinthians 2:9b (AMP) offers a partial answer: “…promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed.”  Being obedient and grateful is definitely a step in the right direction. But the first two verses of Psalm 103 hold the key:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;

Charles Spurgeon summed it up this way:

“Surely the goodness of God has been the same to us as to the saints of old. Let us, then, weave his mercies into a song. Let us take the pure gold of thankfulness, and the jewels of praise and make them into another crown for the head of Jesus.”

“Bless the Lord, oh my soul, oh my soul and worship His Holy name.”  Jehovah will see to it and we will gratefully praise and worship Him with all that is within us.

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father, thank You for all the good things You provide.  Forgive us for the times we fail to recognize or take for granted Your blessing and favor in our lives.  Make us aware of Your Presence in the even the smallest details of our lives so that we may gratefully lift up praise and glorify You.  In Your Holy name we pray, Amen – it is so!

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