Listen:
Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. (Psalm 103:1)
Reflect:
I love this verse. I am struck by the intimacy of the idea of praising the Lord in my inmost being – the place where only he and I can see. Our God is deeply personal; our souls were created to be brought constantly before the Lord as our most meaningful offering. It is a place God designed himself, and his desire is that it would be his, and his alone.
David goes on to command his soul not to “forget his benefits.” Sometimes I confess my inmost being becomes consumed with outside influences – anxiety, fear, disappointment. I can reduce my time with God to a box to be checked on a to-do list. But I am called to continually turn my heart back to God all day, to remember who he is, even, and especially, when my circumstances don’t inspire praise.
One of the ways I cultivate praise in my soul is to begin my time with the Lord just by reflecting on who he is. Father. The God who sees. Provider. Healer. The God who saves. Comforter. Redeemer. As I sit in the presence of God, all I can do is respond. With thankfulness, gratitude, awe. Oh what joy that the one we owe it all to is good, and kind, and worthy!
In the quiet of my inmost being, tucked away from the eyes or ears of others, my inmost being is seen by its Maker; to be seen as I am, with all my flaws and iniquities, and called forward still is humbling and joyous. Only when we are connected to God this way, in praise and gratitude, are we truly set free.
With everything that I am, praise him. Praise the Lord, my soul.
Prayer of Response:
Lord, thank you for being worthy of all we have to give. May I continue to turn my inmost being toward you in a posture of praise and thankfulness. All I am, and all I have to give, is yours.
Questions to Ponder:
What outside influences distract your soul from praising God? How do you turn your heart back to God?
How can you build praise into your internal daily rhythms?
—Submitted by Holli Tubbs
Holli, her husband James, and son Beckham are new residents of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is a former children’s pastor, and now a stay-at-home mom. She loves baking, going on walks, and reading outdoors.
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