Are you more likely to remember the Lord when things are good or bad? Throughout my years in ministry I have asked this question to many people. Some seem to forget the Lord when things are good and suddenly remember when things fall apart. Others seem to remember the Lord when things are good, but panic when things go bad. The results seem to be evenly mixed.
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How To Bless The Lord In All Seasons Series
This article is part of the HOW TO BLESS THE LORD IN ALL SEASONS series. The series consist of:
- HOW TO BLESS THE LORD IN SEASONS OF TESTING & TRIAL -- Looks at our nature to forget the Lord when things are going great and our tendency to forget the Lord when our faith is being stretched.
- HOW TO BLESS THE LORD IN THE SEASON OF CORRECTION & DISCIPLINE--Looks at blessing the Lord when we are suffering the consequences of his correction and discipline.
- HOW TO BLESS THE LORD WITH ALL YOU GOT! --Looks at what it means to bless the Lord with all that is within you. (Publish date 11/29/15).
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In all things, at all times we are to give thanks, and bless the Lord with everything we’ve got. Listen to the words of David in Psalm 103:1-5,
"Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who statisifies you with good,
so that your youth is renewed like the eagles."
What are you most thankful for today? It takes faith and discipline to remain thankful and full of praise when things in the world don't make sense. But living in faith, even in uncertain times pleases the Lord (Hebrew 11:6).
Who Are We Blessing Again?
Our praise should be based upon the Lord. David not only tells us not only to bless the Lord, but to, “Bless his holy name!” (Psalm 103:1). Blessing his name means, praising his character towards us and royal authority over us! He is Holy! He is above our circumstances! He is always working towards the good!
How Can We Bless the Lord at All Times?
David tells us to, “Forget not his benefits” (Psalm 103:2). When he says this, he is echoing the words of Moses that were spoken over the children of Israel.
“Take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:12).
And he told them to remember his acts in Seasons of Testing,
“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not” (Deuteronomy 8:11).
And he warned them about Seasons of Blessing,
“Beware lest you say in your heart, “My power and might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it this day” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).
What Benefits are We to Remember?
We have every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). In this Psalm, David lists three benefits that we should never forget regardless of the season we find ourselves in.
- Freedom from Guilt—He forgives the guilt of our sin through the cross and heals our diseases.
- Freedom from Bondage—He paid the price for our sin to release us from the pit that impressions us and crowns us as royal heirs of his kingdom!
- Freedom from Spiritual Hunger—He satisfies our spiritual hunger with his goodness and renews our souls to soar like eagles!
If my job offers me health benefits, and are always available, I have to use them to receive the benefits.
Regardless of our season, whether it is a season of blessing or season of testing, we know that we have been forgiven of the guilt of our sin, we are free from the slavery of our sin and that our spiritual hunger can be fully satisfied in Christ Jesus! That is reason for praise!
How About You?
Do you remember the Lord in times of blessing? Or in times of testing? Could you say that struggles you have face recently have made you faith stronger? Are you developing a heart that blesses the name of the Lord?
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