The word “bless” means “happy.” You can make the Lord happy in the way the Lord. Why should we bless the Lord?

I – RETURN THE BLESSING TO THE LORD

A. BECAUSE HE IS A HOLY GOD – v.1b

Psalm 103:1 "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”

You can bless the Lord in return or you can return the blessing to the Lord by living holy because God is holy. God is blessed or happy when we live a holy life.

I Peter 1:15-16 “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; ¹⁶Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Listen to God’s voice who is calling us to holiness and if we disobey Him and don’t live in holiness, we are despising God not man because the Holy Spirit is dwelling in us.

I Thessalonians 4:7-8 “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. ⁸He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.”

If we sincerely gave something that is a blessing to human who possess sinful nature, why don't we give to a Holy God, to the Lord Jesus Christ who is without blemish and without God?

I Peter 1:19 “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

The Bible teaches us one way how can we return the blessing to the Lord, “Be ye holy for God is holy.”

Live a separated life from the world, avoid fleshly desires of the old nature, sinful practices, stay away from the earthly, sensual, devilish way of living, hence you will make the Lord happy, you can bless the Lord!

I Peter 3:13-14 “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. ¹⁴Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”

As we look to God’s promise of new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwelled, we must be diligent (hard-working, zealous, industrious) that we be found in peace, without spot and blameless like Christ as a lamb without blemish and without spot, in other words be holy.

Ephesians 5:25b- 27 “…Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; ²⁶That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

Not only Christ love the church but also, He then gave His life for the church (the believers), because Christ wants to sanctify and cleanse the church (the saved people) with washing by the Holy Word of God, so that Christ may present the church to Himself gloriously not having spot, or wrinkle but that the church (saved, believers) should be holy and without blemish, therefore we must be holy for He is holy. God desires to have a glorious church (people of God) that is holy, without spot and blameless.

Return the blessing to the Lord, “Bless His Holy name”. Make the Lord happy.

B. BECAUSE EVERYTHING WITHIN US COMES FROM GOD – v.1a

Psalm 103:1 “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”

Everything within us comes from God:

David said in I Chronicles 29:12, 13 “Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. ¹³Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.”

Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”

Psalm 50:10 “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.”

Therefore, it is unwise, it is wrong, it is foolish to say, “my house”, “my business”, “my car” “my money.”

We are squatters on God’s property with His permission.

We live here and manage a part of God’s resources, but we never receive permanent ownership of it.

II – REMEMBER THE BENEFITS OF THE LORD – v.2

Psalm 103:2 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”

Remember God for His blessings.

Deuteronomy 8:10-18 “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. ¹¹Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: ¹²Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; ¹³And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; ¹⁴Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; ¹⁵Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; ¹⁶Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; ¹⁷And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. ¹⁸But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”

The Lord loaded us with benefits daily. We must never forget to bless the Lord for daily the Lord blesses us.

Psalm 68:19 “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”

A. Because God completes our needs – v.3-5

Psalm 103:3-5 “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; ⁴Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; ⁵Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.”

We do not have the right not to bless the Lord because God blesses us in everything.

God knows our needs more than we know (Ephesians 3:20)

Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

The song goes “Count your blessings, name them one by one.”

B. Because God controls our needs – v.13-14

Job said in Job 1:21 “And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

God gives us free will to choose our own decision, God did not control our choice of decision in life but God controls our eternal security.

Jesus said in John 10:28-29 “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.”

The song says “I don’t know about tomorrow but I know who holds thy hands.”

When everything around us seems to be going wrong, it is hard to imagine that God is still in control. But we are told to rejoice because GOD IS IN CONTROL!!! (Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: ¹⁸Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”)

III – REMAIN TO BE A BLESSING TO THE LORD – v.20-22

How can we remain to be a blessing for the Lord?

By obedience and faith. The song says, “trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.”

1. By obedience – v.20

Psalm 103:20 “Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.”

John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Don’t just say “I love you Lord”

I John 3:18 “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

2. By Faithfulness – v.21

Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” God created us and all things for His pleasure.

The question is how can we please God?

The answer is by faith – Hebrews 11:6

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”

Hebrews 11:11 “Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.”

A. Because God is merciful and gracious to us – v.8-12

Psalm 103:8-12 “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. ⁹He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. ¹⁰He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. ¹¹For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. ¹²As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

God is able to save us by His grace and mercy.

Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

God and the Word of God’s grace is able to build you up – Acts 20:32 “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”

I Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

B. Because God gives us chance to live – v.15-17

Psalm 103:15-17 “As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. ¹⁶For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. ¹⁷But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;”

We live unto the Lord and we die unto the Lord because we are owned by the Lord.

Romans 14:7-8 “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. ⁸For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.”

Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Philippians 1:20 “Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

Bless the Lord or let us make the Lord happy as long as we are alive.