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,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

Psalm 103: 1-4

I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to live in the here and now and not take the time to be truly grateful for what God does everyday in my life. How about you?

How many of us will pause briefly on Thursday for a time of giving thanks and then move back to our own little world?

So how can my life become one of gratitude?

• The first verse tells me to bless His Holy Name with all that is within me. God wants every last part of me, so that my conversation, my thoughts, my actions all honor Him.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5: 16

• The second verse of the psalm warns us to “not to forget all his benefits”. Advertisers long for “top-of-mind” awareness so that their products are the first choice. Think Coca-Cola or Mcdonalds. What do you see? Those are probably bad examples, but living in gratitude daily helps us remember what God has done for us.

What are those benefits? Verses three and four provide a list. He forgives my iniquity. How great is that? He forgives me although I have done nothing to deserve it. He redeems me from the pit. I was lost. Stuck in the mud. I couldn’t get out. My life was a mess. He redeemed me, and gave me steadfast love and mercy.

• Sandwiched between the promises of forgiveness, David writes that He heals my diseases. He heals my body. He heals my relationships. He heals my pain.

Bless His Holy Name.