Today's Scripture Reading (October 23, 2025): Psalm 146
There is a soundtrack to my life. I am not sure if
everybody's life is like that, but some songs take me back to a particular
period in my life. And sometimes, when I am confronted with an idea or a
circumstance, it is a song that comes rushing back to me. So, whenever I read
Psalm 103 (Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his
holy name [Psalm 103:1]), it is an old Andrae
Crouch song that I start to sing. I think the reason is that I grew up in what
we would call a traditional church. I have always been wired towards music.
Growing up in a very musical family, my favorite part of the church service was
the singing of the songs. But the music in my church was old. I liked some of
it and tolerated other parts, but all of the music was better than the sermon.
In the hymnal that we used, there were a few newer pieces (and "newer"
is a relative term), and Andrae Crouch wrote a couple of those songs. So, it
was a great day when the worship music included one of those songs. One of the
newer Crouch songs was called "Bless the Lord," and it quotes Psalm
103:1 in the King James Version language – "Bless
the Lord, O my soul: and all that is
within me, bless his holy name." It is an echo of Psalm 103 that is found here in Psalm 146.
"Bless" is a weird word
in this context. The NIV's "praise" is a little bit easier to
understand, especially when it comes to our response to God. When God blesses
us, he adds something substantial to our lives. But that is not what happens
when we bless God. When God receives our blessing, there is nothing that is
added to God. All that our blessing does is recognize the absolute richness
that is available in God. Our blessing of God acknowledges the incredible
wealth that exists in the person of God. The Psalmist declares that his praise
arises from the deepest part of his soul, what we might call the core of his
being. What that meant was that no matter what was happening in the external
parts of his life and whatever was being said about God by those around him,
deep down the Psalmist knew precisely who God was. And when we can bless or
praise God from the deepest parts of our lives, there is a confidence that
automatically exudes from us.
A friend made an observation that sometimes
Christians look angry. They seem born to be judgmental and critical, and none
of them appears to be having any fun. In fact, sometimes it seems that they
walk out of church grouchier than they were when they went in. I think he is
absolutely right, but I would assert that no Christian who lives a life like
that (and I have to admit that there are a lot of them) has learned to praise
or bless God from the inmost part of their being. Recognizing who God is would
seem to preclude the idea of a grouchy Christian.
Matt Redman wrote a song that is also based on this
familiar refrain from the Psalms. He calls his song "10,000 Reasons,"
and Redman says the song is the biggest understatement of life. When we
understand how great and good God is, how can we not praise him? And there are
many more reasons than just the 10,000 mentioned in the song. Matt is right.
When we understand God in the core of our being, our soul, praise becomes our
automatic response, and a naturally critical group of people is filled with an
unspeakable joy. It is the natural response that comes from blessing God in the
deepest part of our souls.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
Psalm 147
See also Psalm 103:1
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