O My Soul

Rise and Shine for Jesus! \O/

By Pam Iannello - my late mother

A ministry of New Beginnings Baptist Church

How devoted would you say you are to the Lord?

Better stop and think about that before you come up with an answer! What evidence have you provided that you are devoted to the Lord at all? What behavior do you observe in the lives of others that convince you they are devoted to Him? When I came across a particular verse in my Bible reading this morning, I was convicted about the condition of my devotion to God. Perhaps you will be too as you join me in reading Psalm 103:1…

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

As I read those words, I had never really pondered the idea of MY soul blessing the Lord. Unfortunately, we usually think about God blessing us! Is YOUR soul blessing the Lord today, dear lady; are you pleasing your heavenly Father? Here David calls upon his soul, his immortal nature, ALL his senses and faculties, to bless the holy name of God. He stirs his innermost self to magnify the Lord. Have you ever thought about stirring your innermost self to do the same?? Ladies, this verse is a call to our wholehearted devotion to God, for the very next phrase says, "and all that is within me." There is ALOT that is within me – and probably you too, but that does not necessarily mean it is blessing the Lord or a credit to His sacred name! Can we really say that we are devoted to the Lord if only a portion of all that is within us is pleasing to Him?

Psalm 103:2-3 (KJV)

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: [3] Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Notice that the psalmist goes on to point out how many of our iniquities and diseases God attended. Does the Bible say the Lord forgave SOME of our iniquities or ALL of them? Does scripture say the Lord healed SOME of our diseases or ALL of them? Ladies, if our God is thoroughly devoted to our well-being, doesn’t He deserve equal devotion, if not greater? Aren’t you thankful the Lord doesn’t display a casual attitude toward us? Yet, today many Christians display a casual attitude toward God! Perhaps David exhorts us not to forget ALL God’s benefits because that is the root problem to our lack of devotion to the Lord! When is the last time you called all God’s benefits into recollection? If you did it more often, I can guarantee you wouldn’t be so laid back in your Christianity! You wouldn’t be so relaxed in your convictions or careless concerning your testimony. And you wouldn’t enjoy attending an informal, non-denominational church either! If you were truly thankful that God looked into EVERY area of your life, then you’d turn around and do the same and make sure there was no area where your soul had slipped. Sadly, we offer things to God that cost us nothing. Don’t let mainstream Christianity determine your devotion as a believer – let all God’s benefits toward you be the determining factor!

Psalm 116:12 (KJV)

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?

When we determine if someone is devoted to the Lord or not, man usually looks on the outward actions of a person. But God sees ALL that is within us – He knows the truth and the depth of our devotion to Him - and so do you! If you'll be honest with yourself today, you will admit that you know at this very moment whether or not ALL that is within you is exalting your heavenly Father. Based on that perspective, how would you answer my

opening question NOW?? How devoted would you say you are to the Lord?

Though we certainly fall short in many ways, each one of us should arouse our own hearts to become engrossed in living entirely for God. What is there within us that could actually bless His HOLY name? Well, below is a portion of scripture showing a list of things that every one of us could make use of to bless the Lord…

Mark 12:30-33 (KJV)

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

This text describes the thoroughness and fervency that our devotion to God should embrace. As you go down this Biblical checklist of all that is within you, would you honestly be able to say that each one of these areas thoroughly blesses the holy name of the Lord? Yes, the character behind God’s name must be considered when determining whether or not your entire life is truly supportive of His nature! What's the spiritual condition of your heart and your soul today? Are you harboring any unforgiveness or bitterness there? Has all obstinacy been replaced by submission? How about your mind? Are all your thoughts a blessing to the Lord – even the ones about your husband?? How about your strength – is it regularly employed to accomplish things for God or just to carry out your own personal plans? What about your understanding? As a Christian, are you maturing in your perception of the scriptures, are you devoted to learning the truth AND obeying it? Or have you chosen to remain ignorant in order that you might live a life devoted to self? Don’t forget to consider the quality of your love, too! Is it poured out upon the world and conditional in nature, or freely motivated by heaven alone? Think about all that lies within you today that must be addressed in order that every area might please God to the fullest extent, so that ALL that is within you is devoted to the Lord. Now would be a good time to consider whether or not you are really committed to removing the sin in your life or just remain a casual Christian!

Psalm 116:7 (KJV)

Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.

By the way, did you notice the revealed order within those verses in Mark chapter 12? Presented first is the INWARD list of areas in our lives that ought to bless the Lord. Next listed is the OUTWARD direction of our devotion, that which is pointed toward mankind. How many of us are out of order today, how many of us find it easier to live a life of devotion to that which man can see, yet choose to pass over the areas within us that God alone can see?? Ladies, scripture exhorts us to consider the inward first, because genuine loyalty to the Lord and sincere love for Him naturally results in a love for others! Devotion to God must be the foundation of any worthwhile service or sacrifice we might perform. Devotion to God will engage us to everything by which He will FIRST be pleased. With what activities are you engaged in of late? With what purpose is your heart absorbed?

Psalm 86:12 (KJV)

I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name forever.

I hope you are completely engrossed in glorifying the name of the Lord, for this blesses our heavenly Father. Ladies, if we are truly devoted to God, our soul and ALL that is within us will overflow with a desire to bless HIS name, not our own! What is your soul’s chief work? The full soul will leak with a steady stream of desire to bring honor to the Lord's name and faithfully keep that holy cause in the forefront of our minds at all times…

Psalm 34:2a (KJV)

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord:

Are you truly committed to being a testimony for the name of the Lord, or are you more dedicated to making yourself look good by keeping up with mainstream Christianity? Is God’s praise continually upon your lips, or hints of your own? Those who are truly devoted to the Lord will understand there are certain things that displease God the most, and will shun all forms of vain activity…

Proverbs 6:16-19 (KJV)

These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Ladies, if there is any of this particular type of behavior present in your life today, even in small amounts, then you are not living out a life that is devoted to the Lord; there is something dwelling within you that is not pleasing to Him and requires your repentance! Is it pride? Is it a lying tongue? How about the sowing of discord? Could it be wicked imaginations? Whatever category your sin may fall under, I implore you to take care of it immediately! In fact, your response will you prove the intensity of your devotion to God…

Luke 1:46-47 (KJV)

And Mary said, my SOUL doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

No doubt about it, Mary was a woman who enjoyed close fellowship with the Lord. Her heart's strongest desire was to lift up the name of the Lord with her WHOLE being, not just part of it every now and then. Mary was not a casual Christian. The believing soul will be more zealous to be taught the way and the truth of God, in order to walk therein and magnify Him. Let's join Mary in her devotion to the Lord, amen? This is a cause that brought not only the Lord much happiness, but Mary as well. Nothing should rejoice our spirits more than to know we are always pleasing our Savior and our God! Why not put your name in the blank below and make this the testimony of your life too…

And _________ said, my SOUL doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.

God Bless,

Pam

Isaiah 60:1&2

Copyright 1999 Pamela A. Iannello 

Revised 2004