Bless the Lord O My Soul

5/4/2025

 Psalm 103:1-5 – 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His good deeds:3 how God forgives all my sins, heals all my sickness, 4 saves my life from the pit, crowns me with faithful love and compassion, 5 and satisfies my life with goodness so that my youth is renewed like an eagle's.

The phrase, “bless the Lord, O my soul,” originates in Psalm 103, written by David. The Psalms were intended to be sung. So not only the words act as praise, but the song itself was meant to wholeheartedly worship God. The soul means the entirety of our inner being – our mind, will, emotions, and life force. It is not just a part of who we are, but our whole self. This phrase urges all that is within us, every aspect of our existence to exalt and honor God.

When we are asked to bless the Lord, it is different from God blessing us. We are not admonished to bestow anything upon God, except perhaps our reverence. To bless God means to speak well of Him, to praise, honor, and give reverent adoration for His greatness and goodness. The original Hebrew word for ‘bless’ is Barak (beh-rak), which carries the sense of kneeling or giving reverent praise. To bless his name means to praise God’s nature, and character, His goodness and compassion. In this verse then, the psalmist is commanding his own soul to praise God with sincerity and depth, not merely with outward words but with genuine, heartfelt worship from the innermost being.

When David wrote these words, he was commanding his inner being to engage in worship. Worship begins with intentional self-direction. We turn our thoughts to Spirit to connect, hear, and feel the response from Christ.  This phrase is a way of preaching to our souls. It is intended to shake ourselves out of spiritual amnesia so that we can awake, remember, and adore our God.

There are countless reasons to love and praise God, and this Psalm gives us several. First, He forgives us of all the hurtful dumb things we do and say and think. Second, He heals our diseases and pains. We will be giving these bodies back at some point, but God heals us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Third, He “redeems our lives from the pit.” He carries us out of the darkness and into His wonderful light. There are times during the Lord’s Prayer when I will say, “…and leave me not in temptation,” instead of “…and lead me not into temptation.” This just affirms in my heart and mind that God will not leave me in darkness.

Fourth, God “…crowns us with love and compassion.” This metaphor conveys a couple things. In ancient times, a crown was a symbol of honor, dignity, and blessing. To be crowned by God with love and compassion means being surrounded, honored, and adorned with His steadfast love and mercy. Also, the Hebrew word for “crown” can also mean to encircle or surround. This suggests that God’s love and compassion are not given sparingly, but abundantly, encircling and protecting the believer like a crown around the head.

Finally, after being rescued from the “pit,” God not only saves us but also restores our dignity and worth. The act of crowning signifies a transformation from shame or despair to a position of honor and belovedness in God’s eyes.

So, God forgives us, heals us, leads us out of darkness, surrounds us with love and compassion. A fifth reason to love God from this Psalm is that God satisfies our life with good things. We feel God’s joy and energy when we realize that God has given us a wonderful and beautiful life through the people, things, and experiences he has brought to us.

These are just a few of the thousands of reasons our souls should yearn to bless the Lord. If we wake up in the morning and cannot find a reason to praise God, then we are not awake. When we awaken and are ready to bless the Lord with all that is within us, how can we do that? What might that look like? Certainly, only worshipping God on Sunday leaves our soul wanting more.

One way to praise God is through our work, whether it is in a formal job or around the house and yard. Whatever we do, we do it with good effort and integrity. Another way to praise God is through our actions. Once we acknowledge and understand the grace and mercy God has extended to us, we can choose to refrain from idle talk, from temptation, from unproductive and hurtful thoughts, words, and actions.

A third way to glorify God is through how we treat others. We are commanded to love God, love our neighbors, and love ourselves. We honor God when we honor others. Fourthly, we can choose to bless the Lord through how we spend our time. Instead of binging another show, we can spend that time in the presence of God or in Prayer. We can volunteer and serve others.

Another way to praise God is to begin and end our day with prayer, praise, and gratitude. We can thank God for His forgiveness, healing, redemption, and love, and ask for help to remember His goodness with thanksgiving throughout our day. Before bed, we can reflect on our day and thank God for His presence and blessings. Repeating “Bless the Lord, O my soul” can be a fitting close to our day, reinforcing a posture of gratitude and worship.

It is my prayer that we hear David’s universal call in Psalm 103:22, “Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion.” We are to bless the Lord at all times, everywhere for everything. Whether in joy or suffering, abundance or need, our souls find strength when we bless the Lord. When we praise God, either out loud, or in song, or in the quiet of our hearts, and share our admiration, thanks, and honor for God our spirits are lifted, we feel God’s presence more keenly, our strength is renewed, our soul is satisfied, and our hearts and minds have more clarity. Scientific studies on gratitude and worship show benefits such as better sleep, reduced pain, lower inflammation, and increased happiness. All from just being willing to express to God our thanks and love.

Bless the Lord O my soul!