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 Bless the LORD (March 4, 2024)

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all.  Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.  “Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name.” (1 Chronicles 29:11-13)

 

As I recovered from my recent hip replacement surgery, I was often in pain and discomfort, and admittedly I was quick to complain and feel sorry for myself. But I soon realized that such a negative approach wasn’t very productive. So I decided to just give it all to God and trust Him to see me through my ordeal. I’m not saying I did a commendable job, but as best as I could, instead of complaining, I started praising and thanking God for my pain. I reminded myself that God was in control, that He would see me to recovery in His timing, and that He had a purpose for my suffering. This mindset did not take away my discomfort, but it did shift my focus from my difficult circumstances to the faithfulness of the sovereign God who was in control of them, allowing hope to flood my mind that was once dominated by despair.

Today’s Scripture is an Old Testament prayer in which David blesses the LORD by proclaiming His majesty, glory, and supremacy, and recognizing His providence and lordship over all creation. Whether we are experiencing triumph or trouble, we should daily seek to magnify God’s majesty by often praising and thanking Him for His bounty of blessings. The overriding purpose of our existence is to glorify God, seeking to know Him personally and make Him known to the world. As Christians, we bless the LORD by focusing not on ourselves but on others and humanity’s greatest need, our need for a Savior. Let us praise and thank God continually as we go about the essential work He has called us to do…sharing Jesus Christ and our salvation experience with others, and trusting in His assurance that our labors are not in vain.

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1-7)




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