The Art of Preaching to Yourself....

I remember the first time I heard this idea of "preaching to yourself", I thought it sounded a little crazy but after thinking about it and reading the wonderful, go and buy it now book: "Spiritual Depression", the author lays out the convincing point that all too often our problems stem from listening to ourselves, when we should be talking to ourselves.
So this was not a completely new thought when I read Psalm 103 this morning, where it says:
"Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

The psalmist is telling his soul to worship the Lord- sounds like he's talking to himself right?
He is. After reading the first verse you may think "yes, I know my soul should bless the Lord, but I don't know how to get there or where to conjure up those affections"?
That's what I thought too and then I realized- the psalmist tells you how to get there in the following 4 verses. It's like he's saying "Oh, so you need motivation to bless (worship) the Lord? - Then do this....". He tells himself to not forget God's benefits, to remember how He has and will forgive iniquities, how He has healed all his diseases, how He has redeemed his life from the pit, how He crowns him with steadfast love and mercy and even satisfies and renews him!
My soul has an infinite number of reasons and motivations to bless the Lord today and for the rest of my life. So today, Melissa Herrington, will preach the GOSPEL to herself.