Epiphany- Day 48
Psalm 145 ESV
I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The LORD is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The LORD is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
The LORD upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
1 John 3:4-10 NRSV
Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born of God do not sin, because God’s seed abides in them; they cannot sin, because they have been born of God. The children of God and the children of the devil are revealed in this way: all who do not do what is right are not from God, nor are those who do not love their brothers and sisters.
CONSIDER THIS . . .
“Every day I will bless you. . .” It’s our every day song.
Sometimes our actions lead our hearts and minds. Other times our words must lead the way.
“Every day I will bless you. . . ”
This is a particular act, not the general sentiment of the heart. Blessing the name of the Lord is a specific practice. The Jewish tradition developed the practice of saying 100 Brachot (brak-hot = blessed) a day. The practice gives a tangible way for the mouth to lead the mind and heart. Say it. “I bless your name, O Lord.” Say it again. “Blessed be your name, Lord.” Imagine what might happen if you and I said this 100 times a day. It would reorient our affections over and over and over again. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Several years back, Matt Redman wrote a song to help us with this. In the song he sings some form of the words, ” Blessed be the name of the Lord,” twenty one times. He’s recently written another exceptionally popular worship song in the same vein entitled, “10,000 Reasons.” Take a listen.
“Every day I will bless you.” This is our every day song.
http://youtu.be/amFaEmvVaDA