“Bless you,” my husband said again. It was fall, and as I eagerly awaited the myriad of colors from our acre of trees, I knew I could also count on the return of allergy season and the occasional “bless you” from my husband. My morning devotional was Psalm 103:1, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” (KJV) There was the word “bless” again. But instead of being a phrase said at a sneeze, it was being used in reference to the Lord. How can I be a blessing to the Lord?
I immediately felt a sense of inadequacy as I read. Bless the Lord? Why—I sometimes struggle with ways to bless those around me. I thought about how God had blessed me over the years—family, friends, joyful occasions, financial resources, and simple necessities of life. How could I possibly bless Him? I searched the scriptures and joyfully realized that the Lord has given us many ways to bless Him. 1. Psalm 16:1 By putting our total trust in Him as our protector and deliverer we submit to His worthiness. He is blessed as we hide in the shadow of His strength. 2. Psalm 16:2 By declaring that the God of the universe is the Lord of our lives we acknowledge our dependence on Him. He is blessed by our childlike faith. 3. Psalm 26:12 By believing that He is the source of our stability in a world of uncertainty we place our trust in Him as our Heavenly Father. He is blessed by our confidence in His plan for our lives. 4. Psalm 34:1 By lifting up our hearts in praise we demonstrate our love and adoration for Him. He is blessed by our recognition of His worthiness to receive all praise. 5. Psalm 34:9 By giving Him first place in our hearts over anything the enemy tries we recognize His sovereignty. He is blessed by our surrender to His perfect will for our lives. In Luke 24:53 (KJV) we read, “(they) were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.” We may not be able to be in a temple daily to bless God, but we know that our body is a temple, and we can bless God daily by the way we worship Him. He longs to bless us. He longs to have a relationship with us. As we bless God, He is able to release His blessings to us. God gives us a wonderful opportunity to grow closer to Him. These days, “bless you” has a deeper, more fulfilling meaning to me, and allergy season isn’t quite as bad.
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