Blessed by the Name of the Lord

Tonight in church we sang the song "Blessed Be Your Name" which is one of my favorite worship songs. I love that it starts with life in a good place and says, "Blessed be Your name," and then the next lines are about life being hard and yet again says, "Blessed be Your name". At the very end it says, "You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be your name."

Loving God is not about feelings any more than loving my husband or my children is about feelings. If that were true what would we do when we don't "feel" loved. When our husband's are too busy to listen or our children yell mean things at us because we have said no? Yes I do feel love and am overwhelmed by God's love for me at times. But often I am just going along in life. We are living in really tough economic times. And beyond economics, people all around me are struggling with health issues, family dramas, the loss of a child or spouse, the loneliness of parenting. Some are in times of triumph and joy, new babies, new jobs, found love, great friendships, answers to prayers. But in both these scenarios, God is God. And in times when "the world is as it should be" or "as the darkness closes in" our hearts will choose to say, "Blessed be the Name of the Lord". Because God IS God I will choose to follow Him.

Blessed Be Your Name
by Matt Redman
- - -
Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name