Bless the Blesser
A beautiful truth and encouraging passage that lifts my spirit and blesses Jesus Christ is Psalm 103. It speaks of His righteousness, His rich grace, and steadfast love toward us. The chapter ends with his creation blessing the Lord:
“Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!”
(Psalm 103:20-22)
Admittedly, I wondered at points in my life how we could bless the One who is already infinitely blessed above all. How do you bless the Blesser? In time, I discovered that our part in blessing Jesus Christ, is meant for us to recognize His worth, holiness, strength, and power in our lives. All of God’s creation was made to bless Him. Psalm 103 is a daily reminder to praise the God who has given us so much!
When we share the Gospel of the good news of Jesus Christ with others, we bring glory to the name of the God Most High. We are essentially blessing God’s beloved son Jesus and bringing honor to His name! Rejoicing in this truth blesses God.
Many verses I have come across regarding blessing God has to do with our mouth. Our words have an enormous and eternal impact, and we can use them for good or evil (James 3:20). When we actively use our words to bless God, we are worshipping Him, and showing honor and reverence to His name. Psalm 34 reflects what should be the disposition of our heart:
“I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
Let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt his name together.”
(Psalm 34:1-3)
Taking a posture of humility is what allows us to praise God. If we are in pride, and practicing self-serving behavior and attitudes, then blessings will not flow from our lips. Blessing the Lord is magnifying His name in our circumstances – the good, the bad, and the ugly. I need to place my focus on who God is – His character, His attributes and His supreme majesty. I am thankful for the day, but I bless God when I acknowledge Him as the Creator and sustainer of that day. To magnify the Lord causes us to take a very deep look, with our spiritual eyes, at the beauty of the Lord God.
Take a moment to meditate on just a few of the infinite characteristics of God, reflect on who He is, and bless Him.
I AM, Creator of the Heavens and Earth, Unchangeable Intimate God,
All Sufficient One, Provider, Sanctifier, Banner of Victory, Holy,
Great Physician, God Most High, Lord of Hosts, Powerful,
Rewarder, All Mighty Father
Consider what is said in Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is in the Lord.” Once we have put our trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are we considered blessed.
Receiving blessings versus being blessed are two different things. The Greek word (makarioi) translated to blessed means to be fully satisfied. We can only be fully satisfied when we are in Christ. Not just knowing about Him but abiding in Christ (John 15:5). Jesus said “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28).
Blessings refers to joy produced by some experience of God’s favor, or to experience divine kindness, mercy, or goodness. We can daily enjoy the blessing of God’s creation in nature, such as a beautiful sunset, or the companionship of a beloved pet God created for us. Philippians 4:19 is one example of how God blesses us, “And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” This verse is not just speaking of material blessing, but the deeper treasure of our fellowship with Christ. Whether trials come or life is going along smoothly, receiving God’s supply of blessings from the lesson He is trying to teach us is one of His many riches in glory in Christ Jesus. When God supplies us with material things, the point is not to put our focus on “things”, it is to bless the blesser. When our Good Shepherd supplies us with restored physical health or enlightens us with a deeper knowledge of the meaning of a Bible verse, the outcome of that blessing should be to thank God for being the source of our provision in the moment. He knows what blessings we need, and he supplies them to us daily.
Being intentional about blessing someone also blesses God. By blessing someone, or showing the favor of God to that person, we in turn bless God by showing He is the Source of all blessing. Earthly blessings are temporary (house, job, material things), but eternal blessings are granted when we keep our focus fixed on blessing others (Matthew 5:1-12).
In 2 Corinthians 9:8, Paul states “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” There are many ways to be a blessing to someone – sharing a cup of coffee and just listening, empathizing with a friend’s recent loss, bringing a meal to someone in need, or something as simple as a smile. This world and our daily lives have become so busy, and we have so many demands put on us, including the ones that we put on ourselves (guilty as charged!), that in general, we can feel disconnected from people, and forget to show them an act of blessing. The other day, I was reminded how encouraging and what a blessing a simple smile can be to someone. It can light up their day! I was in the grocery store, and not thinking anything of it I smiled at an elderly man as I walked past him. He said, “Keep smiling!” I didn’t realize what an effect it had on that moment of his day. I don’t know anything that was going on in his life, but God knew every detail, and by one simple act of smiling, it became a blessing to that man. What a difference a “simple blessing” can make in someone’s day.
One of my favorite Christian authors is Andrew Murray. He was quoted saying “It is a blessed privilege to work for Christ in this perishing world.” Working and laboring for Christ blesses others. Let it be our heart’s desire to share the love and blessings of God in our daily encounters with one another!