The Object of Our Praise: Bless the Lord, O My Soul
Praise the Lord with your whole being. (personal blessing) - v. 1-5
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell;
Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age;
They shall be fat and flourishing;
Praise the Lord that He acts towards us out of the depth and height of His love. (corporate blessing) - v. 6-14
6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even bwhen we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, fa peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the gpraises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Praise the Lord that He alone (not your obedience) sustains you as you seek to follow His commands. - v. 15-19
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.