“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” – Ps 103:1 (ESV)
David speaks to his own soul — he commands himself into gratitude. This is the essential insight of the spiritual discipline of thanksgiving: we do not wait for gratitude to arise spontaneously. We direct ourselves toward it. ‘All that is within me’ — every faculty, every emotion, every memory, every capacity — is summoned to bless the Lord. The soul that is preoccupied with itself, its problems, and its disappointments must be redirected by the will toward the holy name that is worthy of blessing. This is not denial of the problems — David knew suffering as well as anyone. It is the choice of where to direct the attention of the inner life, and the choice is always available.
Reflection:
Do you practice the discipline of directing your soul toward gratitude — speaking to yourself as David did, commanding your inner life toward blessing God?
What would that look like as a daily practice?
Prayer:
Bless the Lord, O my soul — and all that is within me, bless His holy name. I command every part of myself toward thanksgiving today. I will not wait for the feeling — I direct the will. Bless the Lord. Amen.
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