Devotion: Bless the Lord
Bless the Lord, O my soul
Please take the time to read Psalm 103:1-2
Those who know me know that I am deeply passionate about youth mission trips. These faith milestones are unlike anything else we do and to be sure, they belong on everyone’s faith journey timeline. Youth mission trips are mountain-top experiences filled with service-learning, faith formation, group building, outdoor adventure, worship, fellowship and lots of fun activities. Through these sacred moments, our youth grow in faith in transformational ways, are inspired to be a blessing to others through their service, create life-long relationships, are renewed and recharged physically, emotionally, and spiritually, discover more deeply the gifts God has given them, and find a place to belong. It is truly a gift from God that through these shared experiences, we can live out our baptismal promises and our congregation’s mission to love deeply, grow spiritually, and share abundantly.
Our theme for the week is “Bless the Lord, O my soul” and our primary Scripture verse will be Psalm 103:1-2.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits.”
This psalm, written by David, demonstrates a desire to praise God for all that He has done. David speaks of the blessings of God and his forgiving love and he calls upon all people of faith to praise the Lord in response. It has been said that, “praise is the response of awe for God that we have, while reflecting on what the Lord has done for the people of God throughout history – for creation at large, for the community of the faithful, and for oneself.” God has done amazing things for us and for the world and we are called to give God praise and thanksgiving. In doing so, we are blessed and we bless others.
When we gather each evening for devotions, our group will study the Psalms, as well as other verses that focus on God’s creation and His abundant love and grace. We will hear how much God loves us and how we don’t walk alone in our journey of life and faith. God is with us wherever we go, no matter what. Just like David, in life, we experience tremendous joys and days of challenge and sadness. Only with God can we find our way back to the mountaintop and into the light. And we should at all times give God thanks for that!
We prepare to depart on the 2023 Youth Mission Trip with hearts full of gratitude for all that God is doing and for the many members of Sheridan Lutheran Church who have made this journey possible – the youth for participating, their parents for trusting us with your children, the caring adult leaders for your leadership, the sponsors for your tremendous generosity, the church council and staff for your continued support and for many others – thank you for being a blessing! We praise God for all that he has done through you!
Dear Lord, you have called us to ventures of which we cannot see the ending by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Written by Ian Hartfield
Ian Hartfield proudly serves as Youth Ministry Coordinator working with Sheridan’s middle school and high school youth. He is an avid history buff and also serves as the Archivist for the Nebraska Synod. Ian and his wife, Meeghan have two daughters, Alexa and Ella, who are also involved in the ministries of Sheridan. They enjoy spending time with friends and family as well as their two dogs, Luke and Leia.
Ian has a passion for youth ministry and loves mission trips and other opportunities to help youth grow in their faith.