Smeagol is Free!
A hermitudinal view of...stuff...


11.27.2004  

Blessing and Praise

Psalm 34:1

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.




When is it appropriate to bless the Lord? At all times. How often is His praise to be found in my mouth? Continually. Before thinking about how much or how little I bring blessing and praise to the Lord, I must ponder one thing: Why.



Why should I bless the Lord, and why should I praise Him? Yet that question hints at an even deeper one: Why or how is it that I can bring blessing and praise unto Him? Think about that. I can close my eyes and look forward with my heart, rejoicing in the hope of the day when I will one day behold as with unveiled face the Son of God, my Savior, Jesus Christ. I will gaze upon His glorious face, and I will not be ashamed! How can it be? Such a sight ought to be a terrible and horrible sight. My sin had sealed my fate so long ago, and to deter or elude such a fate was beyond the realm of hope and reason.



I should not be so quick to assume my right to bless and praise the Lord. To assume such a right is to rob the blessing and praise of its inherent depth and meaning! Blessing the Lord, or giving thanks to Him, by its very definition is an act that ought to be filled with fear, trembling, and immense joy! The Lord...the Lord...it is He that provides, He that rejoices to sweetly condescend and hold tight His children in a grip of irrepressible grace! Do not pass over this astonishing thought! He does not relinquish this task to another, He does not allow this delight to pass to His angels! He Himself died shamefully upon a cross; no other would do, no other sacrifice would suffice. Do not assume the right to bless and praise Him! We do not deserve such a privilege, and to forget this is to lose the wonder of the glory of the cross of Christ. Have you forgotten your first Love? Do not forget that He makes His glory our joy, that He ties in His glory with our enjoyment of Him...forever.



In Christ, I lack nothing. Why then should I not bless and praise the Lord? How can I not? *Sigh*...I do not bless and praise the Lord as I ought, for my eyes are ever looking not unto Christ but unto circumstance. Yet He is faithful! Yes, He is faithful! I will bless and praise the Lord because He is faithful; He will wipe away my every tear, He holds me during my every wretched sob, He provides for me my every ounce of strength, He grants to me grace to be forgiven for every sin, He fills my heart with the truth that renews and transforms, and He loves me with a love that claims me and will never let go. If He did not do such, I could not bless, I could not praise. Why will I bless the Lord at all times, why will His praise continually be in my mouth? Because He is the Lord, and He is worthy.

posted by Bolo | 7:42 PM
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