Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
Psalm 103:1-2
The Psalmist invokes the holy name (YHWH) twice in two sentences. Each time comes with the verb “bless,” which in Hebrew invokes the action of kneeling in the presence of; it is a worshipful and prayerful position. He even adds a third statement to emphasize that his entire being should “bless his holy name!”
It’s the statement in the second verse; however, that catches my eye. The psalmist appears to be struggling as he has to remind himself not to “forget” all the times YHWH has been there and interacted with him. It is almost like he is struggling not to say, “What have you done for me lately?” (Janet Jackson made this phrase very famous in 1986 when she was talking about how her man used to treat her so well, but no more.)
Do we act that way toward God? When things are not necessarily going our way in life, do we blame it on the LORD? Do we act like Job’s wife and prompt ourselves to “curse God and die?” or do we remind ourselves that God dwells in every part of our lives, including the difficult times.
But if we focus on these verses, it can become part of our toolbox in facing life. Keep the holy name of YHWH in focus all the time and anchor it in the core of who you are, and you will never forget that he was, he is, and he will always be part of your life no matter what happens.
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