What does it mean to bless God?

The original meaning of the Hebrew word for blessing ("barak") is "kneel" and is used in two different senses: "to bless" (when God acts) and "to praise" (relating to man when he "blesses" God). In the New Testament the relationship between these two acts becomes clearer, since the Greek word ("eulogeo") is a compound of "good" ("eu") and "speak" ("logeo"). When we praise God, we are expressing good things about Him. When He expresses good things about us, He is blessing us.

There are two distinct applications of the word "blessing." God blesses His people, and His people bless God, the same word being constantly used for both. It is obvious therefore that it must be understood in more senses than one... in bestowing favours God is the only one who can bless. The Christian can say, "God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ," Eph. 1:3; but the same verse says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," meaning "Thanks be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."... "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights." James 1:17. This is God blessing us, and for which we in return bless God by giving thanks, by praise and worship.

To bless means to "speak good." God's speaking good regarding His people has enriched them beyond all man's golden dreams; it has given them every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Our speaking good to God cannot and does not enrich Him, but such a response to God the Father from His children, answering to His love and giving Him His true place, ever rises as a sweet fragrance to Him. Blessing, in the special sense of rising from His children in response to the love of God the Father, is thus something very close to worship.

It is always true that blessing originates with the superior. It is just so in the case of those who belong to God's "spiritual house" today; all their blessing came from God. The response given is of such a character that it is acceptable to Him by Jesus Christ in the Spirit's grace and power. Blessing God in that sense may reverently be spoken of as ministering to His happiness! What an honour bestowed upon the redeemed today!... If Paul and Silas in the prison could sing His praises at midnight, when their feet were fast in the stocks and their backs were sore... what a volume of praise and blessing He ought to receive from those who dwell in His house today.

The psalmist calls on his soul with all its powers to praise Jehovah, the eternal, unchangeable and covenant God. Love showing itself in "all His benefits" wakes the soul to praise Him, while in the middle of all its joy it recognises the weakness and inconstancy of the creature, of which it has had such abundant proof in contrast with His faithfulness: "forget not all His benefits."

Forgetting is one of the dangers on a disciple's path. How soon Israel forgot the hardships of Egypt and their grand deliverance, and so started complaining and crying, "we shall die in the wilderness". But are we not in the same danger? We quickly forget the answered prayers of yesterday, the help found in personal need or in shared trials, and dishonour our Lord through "little faith."

David could praise, not of David, but of God. I have done nothing, he would say, nothing but failure; but You have done it all... When we can speak of nothing else, we can speak of God. In Psalm 103 David is tracing up to the root of things. Higher and higher the soul climbs, scaling, as it were, this mercy, which after all is beyond all measure.