Psalm 34:1
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
When David was on the run from King Saul, he took refuge in Gath, a Philistine city. The people of Gath recognized him as the famed warrior of Israel and brought him before Abimelech, the king of Gath, also referred to as Achish (some scholars believe that “Abimelech” was a royal title rather than a personal name).
David was afraid of the king, so he pretended to be insane and was driven away (1 Samuel 21:12-13). Psalm 34 is the cry of a grateful heart that survived the life-threatening ordeal of not being killed by the king of an enemy territory.
We worship the same God as David. Just as David did in Psalm 34:6, allow the Holy Spirit to bring to mind the many times you were in critical circumstances and God heard your desperate cries. Recall how God brought you out of danger, and let His praises overflow from your heart and fill your mouth.
Why was David able to praise God in every circumstance? Because he knew his never-failing God and put his trust in Him. He knew God as his Provider, Protector, Saviour, Redeemer, the list goes on. God never let him down. He had tasted and seen that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). He was keenly aware of God’s faithfulness.
According to Psalm 34:5, “Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” So why wait? Go ahead and praise God continually for who He is and all that He has done. He dwells in the praises of His people! (Psalm 22:3)
