“Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord! May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!” (v1-3)
Do you wonder what it means for us to “bless the Lord”? It’s common understanding that when God blesses us we’re strengthened, provided for, encouraged, and built up. Does God need those things? No, nor can we offer God something He lacks, because He does not lack, and we are not greater than He.
My understanding of people blessing God, is offering Him reverent thankfulness and praise – it’s an expression of gratitude our and appreciation. It’s acknowledging who God is, and who we are in comparison. It’s also expressing contentment in our circumstances, His presence, and His provision. It’s honoring God in all that we say and do.
Not only are our praise and adoration a blessing to Him, I believe our obedience is as well. I know if I show Christlike leadership or instruction to someone (a child, an employee, a peer, my wife) and they respectfully honor that guidance, I feel blessed (and of course God does as well). I also realize how much greater the blessing is when someone honors God without having to be asked/encouraged (my wife is extremely good at this and blesses me so much more than I can express).
My challenge today is to honor and bless God in as many ways as possible, as frequently as possible. Not because we expect blessing in return (this is not unconditional love, nor honoring Him), but because we love Him. It’s that simple. Of course God will bless us in return, in fact He blesses us continually, but that should not be our motivation. Just as we bless the people we love, without expectation of anything in return, we should bless God with our first fruits.
Father God, Holy One of Israel, we praise Your name. Heaven and earth rejoice in Your presence. May we consistently bless You with our mouths and bodies, offering ourselves as living sacrifices to Your will and guidance. Father please lead us down the paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, for the sake of Your kingdom, to You be the power and the glory, forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training