Blessed Be Your Name

I’ve listened to and sung this song, countless times.

I’d always thought it was a bit repetitive. (Of course, in my household, repetitive can be good, because it’s much easier for the 3-year-old to sing along with!). But this time, I heard with ears that had not ever listened before in quite the same way.

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

…

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.

…

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

Remind you of scripture? It did for me too:

I think, perhaps the reason we need to repeat that line “Blessed be your name” is because as imperfect, struggling humans we can’t just say it once and be done! We need, for our own sakes and for God’s, to keep saying it. We have to say it in those good moments and in the hard ones. We have to say it when it gives us great joy to worship. But also and especially when “there’s pain in the offering.” We say it when we mean it from the bottoms of our hearts. And we say it when we also tell God, “Help me mean it wholly, completely, humbly! Help my heart feel what my mind knows is true and right!”

How do we handle life’s greatest griefs? We look at those who have gone before us: Job, David, Jesus – the list goes on. And we, like they, can realize that though we are not in control, we can bless the One who is. What a privilege. What a reminder. What a comfort and strength.

Blessed be His name.