Psalm 34:1—”I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
This is what David said when he changed his behavior before Abimelech so that he drove him out and he went away. David knew who His God was. He wrote songs of praise and poured his heart out to God. He was in the midst of trouble when he said he would praise God at all times. ‘At all times’. Not only in the good times but also in the sad times, bad times, tough times, and every time.
David taught us through his life how we were meant to be toward our Creator. With His praise continually in our mouths. We are quick to do this in our good times because we may remember and say thank you God! We want to thank God for being gracious and merciful to us and for giving us our blessing. But what about in our sickness, in our pain, in our depression, in our marital problems, in our career troubles, in our financial weak times, in our spouse search, in our tough times? Yes, most definitely we will be by the mercy seat imploring and requesting for an answer, a word from God. But at these times do we remember ‘his praise shall continually be in my mouth’? Where there is praise, there is God’s presence. In God’s presence there can be no sin, no sickness, no poverty, no demonic influence, no negativity. We have seen this in many instances in the Bible, for example, in the famous story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who worshipped only God and refused to worship others. Nebuchadnezzar asked that they be bound in their tunics and clothes and thrown into the fire which had been increased 7 times. ‘Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took the three boys up’. And then, the king and others saw in the fire not three, but four men unbound and walking in the fire. In Daniel 3:27, it reads ‘And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon’. This is what happens in the presence of God. We are untouched by any harm or outside forces. ‘If God be for us, what can stand against us?’
Let us make it a conscious decision to praise God everyday in everything. Give thanks and praise God for He knows our future. He knows what’s best for us down the line. He looks out for our best interest. He created us and called us out from among billions and more on this earth. He cares for you. He loves you. Nothing on this earth, or heaven, compares to God and deserves praise. Give God all the glory. Let praise to Him resound on your lips all your days.
