Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Psalms 103: Praise for the LORD’s Mercies A Psalm of David.
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 benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him.
14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children,
18 To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word.
21 Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
22 Bless the LORD, all His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

What a Scripture and song to wake up to this morning!

This is a ministration to the Lord, predicated on the wonderful things He has done and how poignant it is at such a time as this when the whole world is being shaken and nations and its people have been forced indoors in fear and in hiding from an unseen enemy- Corona Virus . No one is spared- Nations, the rich or the poor, the church or governments, the millionaires or paupers.

In this unprecedented time it is easy to lament and point the finger at God or take it out on others and play the blame game like Adam and Eve did.

Let us meditate on this powerful and wonderful psalm which enjoins us to bless Lord and FORGET NOT His benefits and he enumerates the benefits. 

Looking at verses 3-5, there are wonderful benefits that we need to remind ourselves of even now amidst the storm and hurricane and fear that parades the streets and the bankruptcy, job losses that stare many in the face.

It is time to remind yourself of the goodness and greatness of your God. Remind yourself of what He has done for you in times past. Affirm these regardless of the present circumstances. He still cares. He still loves you. He does not change. He said: ”I am the Lord. I change not.”

Why should you bless the Lord?

1. Who forgives all your iniquities,

To know that ALL your sins are forgiven, regardless of what you may have done is the greatest blessing; to know that you have a right-standing with God; you have a clean slate; when God looks at you, He does not see what you used to be but He sees Jesus. Oh how marvellous, glorious and wonderful! It means you have peace with God and therefore the peace of God regardless of what happens around you. As far as the east is from the west so far He has removed your transgressions from you. ( Eph2:14, Phil4:6-7,Ps103:11)

This should fill you will serenity and assurance. You know your name is written in the Book of Life. And so you should not be afraid of death or any other circumstances. Your life is hidden in Christ in God. (Col3:3-4)

2. Who heals all your diseases:

You need to remind yourself even more so at such a time as this, that when Jesus died on the cross, He not only took your sins but also took your sickness and by His stripes you were healed. Hence, healing is your bread, your entitlement (Matt 15:26). You need to apply this truth to your life and your body frequently. Don’t wait until you feel any symptoms. Refuse any disease. Affirm that your body is the temple of God and sickness has no place in it. Say what God says about you: “Those who are in Zion shall not say I am sick (Isa 33:24). He has healed me of all my diseases. By His stripes I was healed (Isa 54:4-5, 1Pet2:24 ). That same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead indwells me and He that raised Christ from the dead quickens and  vitalises my mortal body, even by His Spirit Who dwells in me ( Ro8:11). None of these diseases shall alight on me ( Ex15:26). I am divine territory (1 Cor:19-20).“

3.  “Who redeems your life from destruction.”

Oh, how powerful a Word from God to YOU today. Let this be a rhema to you- What God is saying to you today. Don’t just read it. Personalise it: “You have redeemed my life from destruction.”

Corona virus is on the rampage and destroying lives here and there. But you must stand firm, immovable, hopeful and assured of the Lord’s presence, love and care. Thank Him for what He has done for you a long time ago and no foe can undo what He has done.

Affirm: “I will not die but live to declare the works of the Lord ( Ps 118:17). My life is hidden in Christ in God. In my pathway there is life and not death ( Ps 16:11). The expectation of the righteous shall not be cut short (Prov 10:24,-23:18). I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living ( Ps 23:17). Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, because God is with me. His Word and His Spirit comfort me. He prepares a banquet for me even in the presence of my enemies. He has anointed my head with oil and my cup overflows. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the presence of the Lord forever In His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.” (( Ps 23:4-6  Ps16:11)

4. “Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.”

Oh what a wonderful truth! Remind yourself that God has crowned you with love and compassion. He loves you with an everlasting love. As   high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love towards you. He loves you with a great love. Thank Him for His love regardless of what you see happening around you. Never lose hope in Him. Put your trust in Him. Some may trust in princes, others in their wealth or accolades but your trust is in the Lord. (Ps146:3-7) As we have seen in the past few weeks everything that can be shaken has been shaken. You cannot depend on your wealth, business or position. Your trust should be in God and God alone. By all means, observe all the instructions of the Government with regards to hygiene and social distancing but at the end of the day your trust should be in the Lord and not in your precautions. Jer31:3,Eph1:4, John3:16, Ps103:11

⁵      Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

⁶      In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Prov3:5-6

Jeremiah wrote:

7 ” Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.
8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. Jer17:7-8

Put your hope in God. Even when it seems hopeless be undaunted. Watch what you say. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. (Prov18:21) Speak words of life, Words of faith. Abraham, against hope believed in hope. He called those things which be not as though they were. He refused to stagger at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith, giving glory to God ( Rom4:17-19). The just shall live by faith ( Rom1:17).  God is your refuge and your fortress, your impenetrable bulwark ( Ps91:1-7). Those who put their trust in God shall not be put to shame (Ps25:3, Isa54:4, Joel2:26). You will not die before your time. Your destiny shall be fulfilled. You are a tree planted by the waters, spreading out your roots by the river, being nourished by the Word of God which is medicine to your body. Your leaf will remain green. You will not be anxious in the year of drought or Corona. You will not cease from yielding fruit. Even at this time when you are forced to retreat, you have retreated to advance. God will show you how to make the best of this time. He will make you creative, productive and innovative even in your quarantine and you will come out better than you went into the quarantine. You will demonstrate without a doubt that ” but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. (Dan11:32)
All things work together for good to them that love God and who are the called according to purpose.” (Rom8:28)

5 “Who satisfies your mouth with good things.”

Many companies have gone under, many have lost their jobs and billions have been wiped off stock market holdings. Nevertheless, be not afraid. Don’t be desperate. Refuse to run helter-skelter. Know who you are in Christ and whose you are. Repeatedly affirm that the Lord is your Shepherd you will not want. The Good Shepherd will take care of His sheep.  He is Jehovah Jireh! Let this be your confession and assurance. Remember Isaac in the land of Gerar, when there was a great famine. He was tempted to run away like many others but God told him to stay there. He obeyed God and even sowed at such a time. The result was that he was blessed with a hundredfold return. Besides he became very successful. And after this triumph there were other oppositions and hindrances, but he dug his heels until God gave him room. ¹²      Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him.

¹³   The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous;

 Gen26:12-13

So even at this time, affirm that God is your Source- not your job, the government or your business. Fix your eyes on the Lord.  And He will give you winning ideas that will catapult you to stardom. There are many people who have been laid off and then discovered their purpose thereafter. It is time for you to shine. You are the light of the world, a salt of the earth and a city on a hill.

Believers Are Salt and Light

¹³   “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

¹⁴   “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

¹⁵   Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

¹⁶   Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matt5:13-16

¹      Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

²      For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. Isa60:1-2

 Cast not away your confidence. God is in control of all that concerns you. You will not go under for going over. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. You are more than a conqueror. Greater is He that is in you than the Corona in the world.

6. “So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s..”

The eagle has a lesson to teach us at such a time as this.

He is the king of birds of the air and lives for long ( 20-30 years). However when it reaches its mid-life, its feathers become loose, weak and threadbare. At this point it goes to a remote mountain region and plucks out the old feathers and remains there until they grow back. It also beats its beak on rocks to remove the old worn out beak until new ones grow back. It is a painful ordeal but needful if it is to renew its strength. After this “quarantine”, it comes back, bounces back with a new life, a new zeal, impetus, Vim and drive for a ‘second wind’. It becomes more resilient than it went into the molten stage. It is like a New Life.

This is what awaits you if you will not despair at this time of quarantine but bask in the presence of the Lord. See yourself as an eagle saint. You are more than a conqueror.  As the ferocious winds and storms that kill other birds, carries the eagle to glory so will the storms of life carry you to higher dimension.

It understands the wind current and just waits for the right time to spread its wings to be carried by the wind to its desired destination.

 So wait on God and renew your strength like the eagle. Bounce back at the end of this season stronger, tougher, wiser, with sweeter songs composed during the Corona outbreak. Write a best-seller at this time when you are shut in. Be one of those who invented a Corona survival kit or one of those who made a great difference to other people’s lives in their time of dire need. Show that He Who lives in you makes a difference. Be bold to testify about the hope and confidence you have in God.  Look for opportunities to lead people to Christ. Be not ashamed of the gospel.

10 ” He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.
11 As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings,

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isa40:28-31

So what will you do during this quarantine?

Bless the Lord, all the time.

Look for opportunities to turn this great trial into a great triumph according to the word of God. Go from strength to strength, faith to faith and glory to glory. ( 2Cor2:14, Ps84:6-7, Hag2:9)

Remind yourself of ALL His benefits:

1. Forgiveness,

2. His Healing and restoration

3. redemption of your life from destruction,

4. His Providence,

5. His unfailing love and

6. renewal of your life like the eagle’s.

Alleluia!

Song

https://youtu.be/2hihe6cxspA

song

https://youtu.be/MFN4Bztdyvo

 

I will Bless the Lord

https://youtu.be/RCefRd-2WBY

 

Prayer

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