Bless the Lord
Walking to work, head down.... grey sky, grey pavement, ragged cracks, some jammed with shreds of black tar. Kick cracked sticks, shuffle loose stones.... Body and soul hurt today, just as broken and grey as the upheaved pavement. I understand why people get addicted to pain medications, seek an hour of ecstasy. Just one hour of release; one hour of feeling normal; one hour out of this dead, static, chronic pain of body and soul.
But what bursts forth is "Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul; worship His holy name. Sing like never before, O my soul, I'll worship His holy name."
It's not me. There is something deeper than my depression, something more real than my physical pain. The Spirit speaks forth in groanings--and in a deep song, coming from the depths.
"Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me" (Ps. 42:7 ESV).
It is not a joyous shout, but it is a cry--Bless the Lord, O my soul. I don't fully understand what it means to bless the Lord--blessing the One who is the Blesser, from whom all Blessings come. How can I--I--bless HIS name? But it is a deep cry, from a deepness I knew not of, the depths of the Spirit in me: May you be glorified, may your name be great, even in this day. May I not be swept away and dragged off, but may I bless your name. May I not put your name to shame today, but bless His name, O my soul. Energy and strength for today seem like more than I have, but You are my strength today; I have nothing, I am dependent on you, my Creator--bless the Lord, O my soul. May I sing like never before, bless the Lord, O my soul. Sing like never before, out of the deep broken places, out of a deepness that is deeper than depression, O my soul. I'll worship His holy name. A cry from the deep...
And I continue in a broken tune, along a grey road of broken pavement, the only glitters from broken beer bottles, but I am not alone.
"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be blessed" (Job 1:21b, ESV).
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Matt Redman
The sun comes up, its a new day dawning,
It's time to sing Your song again.
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me,
Let me be singing when the evening comes.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
O my soul,
Worship His holy name.
Sing like never before,
O my soul,
I'll worship Your holy name.
You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger,
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind.
For all your goodness I will keep on singing,
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find:
Bless the Lord, O my soul....
And on that day when my strength is failing,
The end draws near and my time has come,
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending,
Ten thousand years and then forevermore.
Bless the Lord, O my soul...
But what bursts forth is "Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul; worship His holy name. Sing like never before, O my soul, I'll worship His holy name."
It's not me. There is something deeper than my depression, something more real than my physical pain. The Spirit speaks forth in groanings--and in a deep song, coming from the depths.
"Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me" (Ps. 42:7 ESV).
It is not a joyous shout, but it is a cry--Bless the Lord, O my soul. I don't fully understand what it means to bless the Lord--blessing the One who is the Blesser, from whom all Blessings come. How can I--I--bless HIS name? But it is a deep cry, from a deepness I knew not of, the depths of the Spirit in me: May you be glorified, may your name be great, even in this day. May I not be swept away and dragged off, but may I bless your name. May I not put your name to shame today, but bless His name, O my soul. Energy and strength for today seem like more than I have, but You are my strength today; I have nothing, I am dependent on you, my Creator--bless the Lord, O my soul. May I sing like never before, bless the Lord, O my soul. Sing like never before, out of the deep broken places, out of a deepness that is deeper than depression, O my soul. I'll worship His holy name. A cry from the deep...
And I continue in a broken tune, along a grey road of broken pavement, the only glitters from broken beer bottles, but I am not alone.
"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be blessed" (Job 1:21b, ESV).
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Matt Redman
The sun comes up, its a new day dawning,
It's time to sing Your song again.
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me,
Let me be singing when the evening comes.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
O my soul,
Worship His holy name.
Sing like never before,
O my soul,
I'll worship Your holy name.
You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger,
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind.
For all your goodness I will keep on singing,
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find:
Bless the Lord, O my soul....
And on that day when my strength is failing,
The end draws near and my time has come,
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending,
Ten thousand years and then forevermore.
Bless the Lord, O my soul...
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