Leading our hearts to worship

My soul, bless the Lord,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

My soul, bless the Lord,
and do not forget all his benefits. (Psalm 103:1-2)

I was just thinking today, “How often do I lead my heart to bless the Lord?”

How often do I say, “Hey self! Bless the Lord today. Don’t forget all he’s done for you. Don’t forget all his goodness to you.”

That’s important to do when things are going badly, of course. When David got really down, he reminded himself, “Hey self! Why are you so down? Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 42-43)

But it’s also important to do when things are going well. To remember where all your blessings came from (Deuteronomy 6:10-12).

That’s what David does in this psalm. At a guess, he wrote this psalm some time after God had forgiven his sin with Bathsheba and restored his kingdom after his son Absalom’s rebellion (2 Samuel 11-19).

How about you? Do you lead your heart to bless the Lord every day?

Bless the Lord…
his servants who do his will.

Bless the Lord, all his works
in all the places where he rules.

My soul, bless the Lord! (21-22)