"Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul." (Psalm 103:22)
We often talk of the blessing of the Lord - of receiving from Him good things. We hear that all around us. People speak of being blessed when things are going well, when their needs are met, when even their wants are met. We love the idea of God being good to us and giving us things we want and need. We feel "kept" - like the wife of a rich man.
But what about us blessing God? That seems kind of odd in our thinking. How could we ever give God something that meant anything at all to Him? After all, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He created all that is. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing. He Is All in all. Everything was created by Him and by Him all things continue to exist. How in the world could we ever bless Him?
And yet, here we read the words of David telling us to bless the Lord. And not just us but all creation in all places! Did you ever just sit and listen to the birds singing in the morning? Have you ever listened to the croaking of spring frogs? Have you watched the majesty and grace in the flight of an eagle or a hawk? How about those cute videos on social media that show a rabbit eating a carrot or a chipmunk? Think about the agility, strength, and finesse of a squirrel walking across a high line over the street. Or how about the beauty of a tree in all its glory? I love the feminine lines and gentle feel of a Calla Lily or the soft scent of a rose. All these and more are just a quick example of the beauty and glory of nature. There are, literally, millions more!
Even though all of these were designed and created by God - and they are pleasurable to observe - we were the only creation made in His image and in His likeness. The beauty of the rose dims in the light of the beauty of a human. The majesty of the eagle and the silent strength of the crocodile are but small things compared to what God placed within mankind. These were created for our enjoyment and pleasure, but they are beneath our dominion as children of God. We are to rule over all creation as God's representatives on the earth.
Bringing it a little closer to home, we were created to have fellowship with and bring glory to God. We were made to be His exact image on the earth. Jesus came to exhibit what that looks like. We are to command storms, we are to calm seas, we are to still the winds, we are to manifest God's power in physical form when needed. We are to speak His commands into the earth and display His power and love in a world that is spinning out of control into utter chaos.
It has been said that what God gives to us is His gift to us, but what we make of those gifts are our gifts back to Him. I know I butchered that quotation, but you understand the meaning. We are to take what He has given to us, learn how to use it, then turn and offer it as praise to Him. For example, if I am a singer, I am to protect that talent and gift, strengthen it, perfect it to the best of my ability, then offer it back to Him in service that brings Him honor.
Today I challenge you to discover (maybe once again) your gifts and talents, refine them to purity and elegance, and find ways to offer them to others in a way that reflects glory and honor to the One Who gave them to you. May you experience through this process a continual honeymoon of love with our Creator and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Be blessed.
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