DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

Blessed, So We Bless

Recently I attended a performance by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. The skilled musicians blessed the audience with an afternoon of musical delights and received back applause and approval. We, the listeners were blessed and entertained well. They were blessed by receiving applause and praise.

Music is a gift from God to us. It uniquely expresses emotions, touches our emotions and can glorify God’s beauty and greatness. I can’t imagine a church worship service without music and singing. With such music we bless God because he has blessed us with his love, mercy, faithfulness, providence and salvation even though we don’t deserve it. When God blesses us he doesn’t just wish us well. His power and omnipresence effect for us the good he wants us to enjoy. When we bless God we kneel before him and praise him for his grace and express the emotions of our gratitude. The root meaning of the Hebrew word for bless is “to kneel.”

The Israelites had their Thanksgiving Day: The Feast of Tabernacles, which occurred in the autumn to bless God for his providence. Perhaps they gathered and sang Psalm 95: “Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD. Let us give a loud shout to the Rock who saves us. Let us approach his presence with thanksgiving. With music we will shout to him. For the LORD is the great God and the great King above all gods. He holds the unexplored places of the earth in his hand, and the peaks of the mountains belong to him. The sea belongs to him for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come let us bow down. Let us revere him. Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker, for he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the flock of his hand.”

On Thursday, go and gather with Christians and sing joyfully to the LORD with thanksgiving! Bless the LORD, not only because he provides for all you need for body and life, but because he has saved you from your sins. The name LORD means “Jahweh Saves.” Jesus lowered himself, that is, he “kneeled” before us to serve us and save us by giving his life as the ransom payment for all our sins. Jesus blessed you.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul. All that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits -- who pardons all your guilt, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with mercy and compassion, who satisfies your life with goodness.” (Psalm 103:3-5)

God blesses us by giving us gifts like his Son, our Savior, Jesus. We bless God by praising him with songs of thanksgiving.

Come, worship with us on Sundays at 10 am.