WEDNESDAY IN THE WORD    September 13, 2023

“BLESS THE LORD MY SOUL”

“Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits — who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.”

Our life experiences are ever changing as one life event slips into another and those into yet another. Each one carries with it a range of possibilities and dangers in such climatic occurrences we encounter with hurricanes. earthquakes, flash floods, raging fires, and problematic rising heat temperatures. These life experiences require a capacity to choose right and wrong or something that exists between the two is ever possible. The missteps are as present as the correct ones. A prayer life is essential in all our decisions. But even a prayer life can easily slip into a laundry list when blessings become concealed forms of petition. What if we turned the tables on our petitions? Instead of asking for God’s blessing, what if we blessed God for his goodness. Give thought to turn blessing into a form of thanks and praise. How have you been blessed by God? How have you blessed God for his goodness?

Our blessings come in large and small measures. We are blessed even if we live a comfortable life and have a fulfilling intellectual and social life. We are blessed if we live in peace with our neighbors and are free of crime. We are blessed if we can move about without harassment and abuse.Some of us may describe a blessing in terms of prosperity, liberty, and self-fulfillment. Contemplate deeper meaning in the blessing. Perhaps traditional ways of praying may not immediately come to mind when we think of blessings, but it could. How would you describe your greatest blessing? A relationship with God is a spiritual treasure that far outstrips our want and need when we set our hope on God. Pray as the psalmist, Bless the Lord My Soul for I am grateful for what You have done for me.

The psalmist tells us our sins are forgiven and out infirmities healed and our life is redeemed. So is the compassion and mercy of the Lord a limitless expanse, and so we must choose in the midst of our unforeseen circumstances to learn more about our God and how we must serve with gratefulness. Surely our blessings come in God’s active loving presence removing the impediments to embrace a full relationshpi with God and what might contribute to an abundant life. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us. Bless the LORD OUR SOUL! AMEN.

Rev. Carole