BLESS THE LORD!
Suggested Reading: Psalms 103
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Heading south in the Kidron Valley you come to the Pillar of Absalom or Absolom's Monument. 2 Samuel 18:18 tells us that, "Absalom in his life time set up a pillar for himself.....he called the pillar after his own name, and to this day it is called Absalom's monument." The Kidron Valley, also known as the King's Valley, is located between the eastern walls of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Psalm 103:15-16
As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
We remember Prince Absalom, son of King David, who committed treason in trying to overthrow his father’s reign in Israel. Absolom’s untimely and violent death may have been in David’s mind when he penned the words of today’s reading. David grieved so very deeply over the death of his son (read 2 Samuel 18:9-33). Paul preached in the Antioch synagogue telling all that God said, “I have found David, the son of Jessie, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” The Apostle went on to say, “From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Saviour – Jesus!”
David had reason to grieve, but he ordered his soul to “BLESS THE LORD!” Six times in today’s reading these words appear. What does it mean to “BLESS?” It means that we are to make someone joyful! Let us ask ourselves this question: Does the smile of God’s approval rest upon our lives? My father often prayed at our family altar, “May the smile of Your approval to be on our lives this day and always.” If we don’t have the assurance that God is blessed by our lives, we need to repent, ask forgiveness, and then look up again. Look for His joy to be revealed. Our souls will know when God is blessed!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, may the smile of Your approval be upon our lives this day and always. I pray that my soul will BLESS YOU, LORD GOD!!! Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
Bob Code, a man whom my mother led to Christ, along with his wife and daughter, would often say, “Bless the Lord!” I was about 13 years old then and I questioned how Mr. Code could bless God. I thought, “God is the One who does the blessing.” And God does bless us in awesome ways, but I’ve learned that blessing is a two-way street. God blesses us and we bless Him! Amen!
I’ve often read our key verses while standing at a grave side. I’ve just read again the verses just before, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear [respect, awe, worship] Him. For He knows our frame; that we are dust” (Psalm 103:12-14).
Yours for being blessed and for blessing God and all with whom we come into contact!
David
The view from behind Absalom's Monument. His pillar is sculpted out of the bedrock in the valley below the city walls. Tourists don't usually see the sculpture from this angle. Our photographer, my son, David Reynold, was determined to get the best pictures for these blogs. Thank you, my son!
Dear David
I’m enjoying your blog very much.Today was my favourite psalm.Along with you I also want to bless the Lord at all times and as we do that we automatically bless those around us. God’s ways are so good and right.
Just want you to know I’m enjoying the daily blog and tell Reynold his photographs are amazing. I’ve never been to Israel yet but the pictures and your comments sure help to see the beauty of this precious land.
We appreciate the minstry of Crossroads and it played a big part in drawing my wife’s dad to the Lord.
God bless you and your family
Andy and Elizabeth
May my prayer be the same as yours today David
Bless the Lord at all times for he is good
Lianne Hogg
What are ways we can bless the Lord ,
By helping the homeless , and feeding the hungry , and clothing the naked , giving encouragement to our fellow man , and speaking words of hope , and being a blessing to someone today Amen !
Amen Brenda, let us all bless The Lord by blessings others, as you have said.
We are all blessed by this blog and as we pray for each other God’s blessings are upon us.
Let us show someone kindness today, it may be the only time someone cares.
Amen, sister!
Amen Brenda! So very true!
Practical and loving ways to bless. Thank you, Brenda.
Thank you and bless you always!!!!!
We are so blessed. May we bless Him in many, many, ways. Talking about birds in yesterday’s blog – my husband and I came across a little chickadee that was dead on the roadway. Such a pretty little thing. I immediately thought of the scripture that says that not one little sparrow falls to the earth without our Father’s knowledge…….AND but we are worth so much more than they. With so many, many, birds, this is so amazing. We have an amazing Father.
It is reassuring to know when we ask God for forgiveness and repent, our transgressions are removed, as far as the east from the west. It is equally a challenge to extend the same forgiveness to others who have “trespassed against us.” Lord, help us to tirelessly acknowledge areas in our lives where we can become more Christlike, and grant us the strength and determination to do so. Bless the Lord! O my soul; And all that is in me, bless His holy name! Have a great day and blessings, to all!
You hit the very issue that keeps repeating itself in my life, David. I forgive but I don’t forget. In many cases, I repeat the same conversation over again months later, about something that happened with someone, instead of letting it go forever. There is a perplexing disconnect between forgiving and forgetting that must take place in order to let it go forever.
Forgetting is not wise. At the end, when all offences are cast into the garbage, never to return, we can forget. Forgiveness is for the repentant but I do not even forget my own sins and neither did king David forget his. Blame for repentance is not forgiveness but forgetting is not for us yet. God reminded the jews many times not to return to their sins. We are not God but liars hope for blindness.
There is definitely a disconnect between forgiving and forgetting. What happened to hurt or offend may always remain part of our life. But, forgiveness can lessen its grip on us and help us to focus on other positive parts of our life. Forgiveness can also lead to feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the one who hurt you. Forgiveness isn’t a state of denial and doesn’t minimize or justify the wrong. We can forgive and acknowledge the act without excusing it. Forgiveness is not about ignoring the one who harmed, it is about releasing them from negative feelings of resentment and condemnation, in order to move on with our lives and be healthy.
Jesus and the apostles said judgement, faith and mercy are the great matters of the law. Also, though mercy is not the least, each of these is important and strengthen the others. Finally, as David Mainse prayed, the great commandment is to love the Lord thy God witg all thy heart and with all thy soul and all thy mind. I do not even come close to this at the moment but I still try to serve Him truthfully.
As you quoted yesterday, “despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.(Hebrews 12)” God is not spoiling His children like Hollywood offspring. I am thankful to God for causing me to fear Him. Moses said honour thy parents. We do this by living right in God’s eyes. Likewise, we honour God in this way. If I was obedient to my parents only when they saw me, this is not honouring them but if I thiught of them when my friends wanted to be bad, this is honouring them. If my parents were foolish, I still have the Father in heaven. The wise servant knows his Master will return. Jesus, who God declared to all is His Son, treated God with awe. Our own parents do not deserve awe but respect (if they do not teach us evil things) and some parents deserve a degree of reverence. God said Abraham would raise his children well. In this, he blessed them. Lucky kids.
Monday you, David M, mentioned justice of the Lord, and yesterday I read part of Hebrews 12 so you were not quoting it but it was the same message.
Yes, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, Bless His Holy Name.” And blessings on you, David M. and fellow bloggers. Trust you saw my word of thanks posted yesterday. Have a good day.
Only one life to live,
Do not waste time,
On things that,
Are not for Christ.
Peace today to all!
Bless the Lord by believing Him. He is our bridegroom, we are his bride, yet many Christians are acting like they are still unmarried. The say to Him ” I don’t want you to live with me, let’s keep separate homes, but I will visit you once a week at your house, and on holidays or special occasions”. They say to him “I want you to keep in touch with me, but don’t expect to hear from me unless I need something. And when I do I expect you to be there to give me whatever I need”. They say to him ” I don’t want anyone to know we are married, but I expect my full legal rights to your estate and all the benefits due a wife”. They say to Him ” I want everything that belongs to you, but you cannot have anything that belongs to me.” or they tell Him
“Be faithful to me, but let me have lovers on the side, yet if I contract an STD, I expect you to accept and want me no matter how unclean I become”. Or they say to Him “Please don’t bother me with your family and their needs because I don’t want to get involved”
If any man on earth would agree to a marriage arrangement like that one, they would be foolish– yet many, who say they are Christians, expect Jesus to accept those terms from them. So bless the Lord, by treating Him with the love and respect any bridegroom deserves to receive from his bride.
Dear Lord , may everything that I see , every word that I utter , every act of kindness bring you Glory in Jesus name Amen , Amen.
Blessed day everyone
xxxx Carole .
Amen I love your prayer as for all of is to bring Glory to God our Father ?:)
We are so blessed by our God. His love, forgiveness, and direction for our lives is amazing, unimaginable, utterly divine! It blows us away, like the wind in the psalm.
There are times in my life when I recognize I need to make something right because it is just not sitting well within me–no matter how small it may be. I feel the spirit calling me to cleanse my conscience and be completely right with the Lord. I always feel 100% better when I do. What a wonderful relationship we are blessed with to commune with our God and that is one way we bless Him in return.
Thank you Mr David Reynold for such wonderful pictures, God bless you. Thank you Rev Mainse for your everyday teachings and blessings from God through you to us through this blog:) Above all, Thank You Lord for Your mercies and blessings endureth forever… Help us to bless You the best way we can, everyday of our lives… Amen! Thank You Lord, Thank You Jesus, Thank You Holy Spirit 🙂
By the way, someone said a couple of months on here that she prayed that I would get a new phone. Funny. I did not want a new phone, but last week my old style cell phone, with alpha-numeric push buttons, started to breakdown a bit so I got a smartphone. By accident, it is the same one that the woman who prayed suggested: Samsung Ace II. It is perfect for me but typos happen much more.
Good news, Brad!
God works in miraculous ways
Awesome!
It is such a small thing but if she prayed sincerely that I learn some obscure language such as pict or something, I would probably be writing this in a strange awld waigh!
She obviously felt sympathy and God listened to her but my old phone was not a thing that worried me until last week. It is like the lighting striking, or a cloud clearing, at exactly the right place or moment to show God does pay attention to our thoughts and prayers and feelings.
This morning I was thinking of my children who live far away…and that I missed hearing from them. As I thought on this, I felt the Lord say, that
He misses not hearing from me/us.
How precious is this time when we read and meditate on His word together,
daily.
But also how much more precious is a time when we take time to be alone with Him!!!
Good morning blog buddies!! Here is a song I thought you might enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbHV2TYGVso
Have a blessed day and thank you Pastor David for this time we get to spend in God’s Word each day!!
🙂
M.