Who Am I to Bless the LORD?

Psalm 103:1-2Bless 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.Bless is an action verb. It is not passive and should not be. For those who do not remember the grammar lesson inherent in that statement, being passive subverts who is the actor and who is the object. In other words, it is a mistake to hide who is taking action and who is receiving that action.As humans we are quick to say, “may the LORD bless me and keep me.” But have I blessed the LORD? Have I praised and asked that the LORD be blessed? Personally, I’ve never really thought about how much I have asked to be blessed but never really blessed the LORD with my whole heart. My initial reaction to the concept is that I am not worthy to bless the LORD. I have found myself wondering why God would want my blessing. I feel unworthy. I think that my blessing is worth very little. How could I possibly bless the LORD?Instead of showering the LORD with praise, I have looked at things in life and wondered why they have not been blessed. I think things could be better. I think they are too broken. I think a lot of things. But have I ever really returned the blessings to God? Have I actively with my whole heart sung praise to the LORD for all of the benefit and wonder that is bestowed on me every moment of everyday on this Earth? Of course I haven’t, and yet I go about my day asking God to bless this and do that. I pray that this or that happens this or that way. I pray that God take care of me. I pray that God shine his light on me.I have always focused on what God blesses. Or more accurately, I have always focused on what my human understanding thinks is blessed or should be.And then through His love I understand. All acts of true love are reciprocal. If I am not blessing the LORD then I am not really understanding the blessings bestowed on me. I am still such a child in my understanding. I am so passive, constantly asking the LORD to act in my favor. I am so blind. LORD, let me see!So now I stop and bless Our Father for all he is in every moment. I bless the LORD for being more, knowing more, and forgiving more. And now I read some of the key verses of Psalm 103 with clearer vision:Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.He does not treat us as our sins deserve- or repay us according to our iniquities.He remembers that we are dust.The life of mortals is like grass, -they flourish like a flower of the field;The wind blows over it and it is gone, - and its place remembers it no more.Praise the Lord, my soul.Let this be our pray today and every day.When I choose to act, may it a blessing to God, of God, for God.When I choose to sing, may I choose words that praise the LORD and everyone around me.When I sit in silence, may I listen to the blessings the LORD whispers in my heart?May every action, every utterance, and every moment of reflection be filled with praise for Our LORD, Amen.This devotional was written by Jill Pope and read by Susan Daves. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.