Blessed be the name of the Lord

"Every blessing You pour out, I'll turn back to praise.

When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say; 

Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name."

It's certainly easy to praise God in our good times. When we have everything we want and long for. When all our needs are met, our health is in good shape, and we are surrounded by our loved ones.  Yes, it is indeed effortless to be grateful and to praise God Almighty when things are well.  Let's turn the situation around now. How do we act when we don't have everything we want, and our needs are not being met, or we contract a terrible disease, and/or our loved ones leave us.  In those times why do we turn away from God? Is being grateful conditional to God giving us what we desire? So basically you strike a bargain with the Lord then, eh?  How sad and disgraceful.  

"Not for a moment does He forsake us..." 

"He cannot love us any more or any less than He loves us this very instant."

Yet our love, our gratefulness, and our praise for Him is tentative.  However, this tentativeness doesn't deter Him from us.  Nothing keeps Him from pursuing us. He watches over us as a father would. He hurts when we distance ourselves from His love.  It pains Him to see us worship idols.  After all we do to ache Him, He still longs for us to commune with Him.  He tells us to, "come to Him continually. I am meant to be the Center of your consciousness, the Anchor of your soul..." (Interpreted from Hebrews 6:19, 1 John 2:28, and Matthew 22:37).  So then why do we turn away?  Why do we ask, "why have you forsaken us?"  Can't we feel His pull?  He knows that, "...our minds will wander from Him, but he asks how far we will allow it to wander. He says that as we drift away from Him, His Spirit within us gives a tug, prompting us to return to Him..." (Interpreted from Hebrews 6:19, 1 John 2:28, and Matthew 22:37).  For being the Lord of all the heavens, He makes this much effort to know us, to walk with us, to be in our every thought; then why do we not long for Him as such?

It says in scripture to thank God for everything.  Even in our troubling times, we should thank Him.  Don't turn away from Him for it says; 

"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you.  He will be with you; He will never fail you nor abandon you." Deuteronomy 31:8 

"[He] loves us at [our] darkest" Romans 5:8. 

All He asks is the same from us. Our God is alive, with us, and within us. How lucky and blessed are we! Praise God!! Our Lord knows of our suffering as He too has suffered from our transgressions.  How do we then justify not praising such a loving, forgiving, and merciful Lord?  So today my friends, please join me in singing His praises:

"Bless the Lord oh my soul, oh my soul, worship His holy name.

Sing like never before, oh my soul, I'll worship Your holy name.

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning; it's time to sing Your song again.

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me, let me be signing when the evening comes.

Bless the Lord oh my soul, oh my soul, worship His holy name.

Sing like never before, oh my soul, I'll worship Your holy name."