"Blessed be your name"

How often do I bless the name of the Lord?

I thank God for good things from time to time - my family, the comfortable life I lead, the gift of everlasting life.

But do I consciously bless God in hard times?  Sometimes - with difficulty.

I was reminded of this while I was singing Matt Redman's song "Blessed by your name" at our church's Sunday service this morning.

I was particularly struck by the words: "Every blessing you pour out, I'll turn back to praise."  Every blessing.

It made me think about how often I forget to think about God's blessings.  The greatest blessing is Jesus himself and my relationship with him.  But he has poured out many other blessings, too.

What I love about Matt Redman's song are the words that follow the ones I mentioned:

"When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say: 'Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be your name.'"

Yes, even in "on the road marked with suffering," as Redman says, we must bless the name of the Lord.

What a difference praising God has made in the lives of Christians over the centuries.  And what a testimony to those who don't know Jesus.

I love Psalm 103 where David talks about the blessings of God.

Quite apart from earthly blessings, David speaks of the eternal benefits of God's love for us.  Here are some he mentions:

• He forgives our sins;
• He heals our diseases;
• He redeems us;
• He crowns us with love and compassion;
• He satisfies our desires with good things;
• He is slow to anger and abounding in love; and
• His love for us is so great it can't be measured.

As David says in verse 17, God's love for us is from "everlasting to everlasting".  There is no end to it.

I bless your name, O God.