with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
6 The Lord gives righteousness
and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
7 He revealed his character to Moses
and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
18 of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!
and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
18 of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!
19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
from there he rules over everything.
from there he rules over everything.
20 Praise the Lord, you angels,
you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.
21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
who serve him and do his will!
22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
everything in all his kingdom.
you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.
21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
who serve him and do his will!
22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
everything in all his kingdom.
Let all that I am praise the Lord."
Psalm 103
It's this moment of abandonment--letting go of everything that bothers you. Holding nothing back.
When I worship in church, if there is something I'm holding onto--some feeling, some thought, a to-do list, I cannot fully give my heart to God. I cannot fully surrender myself to praising my Father. But each day that you completely surrender, that you completely let go and let God, it's amazing praise. Your heart just opens and fills up so completely with the word of God, and the love of God.
But for me, it's a struggle to completely let go, to completely forget everything I have going on in my life and just praise God. For some reason, everyday it's hard to completely surrender myself to God and worship him. Even on Sundays, sometimes my worship lacks because I have a paper to write, or a book to read, or a house to clean, or cooking to get done... I can't just let God swoop in and fill my heart.
Why, though? Why does my worship sometimes feel empty? Feel like I'm going through the motions? Is it fear? Is it a lack of trust that the Lord will take care of all my worries and help me to persevere? Why?
It's not, "Let only the part of me that doesn't have things to do praise the Lord..." No. It's "Let all that I am praise the Lord." All. Not half, not a quarter, not 3/4. All.
That's my challenge to myself in May, probably one of the busiest months I will encounter all year because of finals, because of studying for the LSAT, because of getting shots for Africa... Is to make my worship matter. Is to make my life a constant testament to God. Is to make my actions speak as loud as my words.
I love you, Lord, and I'm trying to give my all to you.
God bless,
Lauren
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