“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth”
Psalm 34.1
This particular Psalm was written by David prior to his becoming king on the occasion of his narrow escape from the Philistines. David had fled to the Philistine city of Gath because King Saul was determined to kill him. But when he arrived, the king of Gath was warned against David. Upon hearing of that, David used his wits, pretending to be a madman, scratching at the gate and drooling into his beard. The king had him sent away saying, “Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” (1 Sam. 21.15).
David didn’t congratulate himself for his clever escape, but immediately ascribes to God all blessing and praise for delivering him. He recognized God’s absolute sovereignty in all the circumstances of his life, even his being placed in that extremely dangerous situation. Looking back, he saw it as a glorious display of God’s protection and oversight right down to the placing of the means of David’s escape into his mind, his pretended madness. As such, David saw not only the duty, but the privilege of blessing, praising and thanking God for even those difficult and negative circumstances in his life.
And he would without hesitation give open expression to it with his mouth as well as his pen. In fact, this would be his response “at all times”, no matter what was happening to him. As far as David was concerned, he was one of God’s covenantal children who was loved with an everlasting, steadfast, covenantal love. Note the title “Lord” which is God’s covenantal name, Jehovah. You might say it is His personal name with his children and so David feels perfectly free to use it.
This event and David’s response certainly encourages us to test ourselves. Is our blessing and praise of God occurring at all times, and is it continually in our mouths? If we’re truly honest with ourselves, we’re not always faithful in doing this even when good things happen, or for the marvelous blessings that are ours through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
Think of it! We, the undeserving, are fully forgiven, we’re new creatures in Christ, we’re being perfected through the gracious process of sanctification, we have the living hope of the guaranteed full and eternal life to come with resurrected bodies, we, with perpetual lovingkindness, are now protected, preserved, provided for and guided through the whole course of this life, held tight by our Lord who will never let us go, or lessen His love for us.
But now, what about when there are bad things like affliction, illness, financial difficulties, loss, relationship problems, persecution, tribulation or danger like in the case of David? Is our blessing and praise of God occurring at all times, and continually in our mouths?
Joseph’s brothers hated him and they sold him into slavery. He ended up in prison, but God! That’s right, but God continually had His hand on Joseph and his circumstances. Through the course of God’s providential workings, he was raised up to be second only to Pharaoh himself. Later, he and his brothers were reunited, and he forgave them. When their father Jacob died, however, the brothers feared that Joseph would use that opportunity to take revenge. But when they came to Joseph begging for forgiveness and their lives, he simply said, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Gen. 50.20). God meant it for good! That was Joseph’s blessing and praise of God for that time when those very negative and evil things happened to him. And he didn’t hesitate to use his mouth to give full expression to it.
God not only used those events to graciously preserve Jacob and his family per His covenant with Jacob’s grandfather Abraham, but they served to bring Joseph into that gracious mindset where he by faith recognized God’s hand in all of it. Joseph was able to see his role in God’s redemptive purpose established in that covenant whereby out of this fallen world God would redeem a people for Himself. And that work of rescue would be fully and finally accomplished by the redemptive work of the “Seed” that was promised so long ago in the garden (Gen. 3.15), God the Son in the flesh, Jesus Christ.
We read a very similar truth from the Apostle Paul in Romans: “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (v. 28). He didn’t write that all things are good, but that they all work together for good. Just like Joseph’s case, every single event and set of circumstances in the life of a true believer are for their good. But the key to the fullness of that verse is often overlooked. This promise is for those who love God, are called, but it’s all for God’s purpose, not ours. And what is that purpose? It’s in the next verse where we read, “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (v. 29).
Amazing grace! for “we know that when He (Jesus Christ) is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn. 3.2). Beloved, your trials, afflictions, tribulations, disappointments, losses, illness and even the virus are all lovingly designed by your heavenly Father for your good which is to bring you into conformity to Christ. In that light we can with Paul really say that, “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4.17). Afflictions, that’s how a true believer in Christ comes into the fullness of God’s chief end for man, which is to glorify God and thereby enjoy Him forever!
Beloved, does the contemplation of that gracious and remarkable reality cause you to bless the Lord at all times, under every circumstance with His praise continually in your mouth? By God’s grace, may it be so.
Psalm 34.1
This particular Psalm was written by David prior to his becoming king on the occasion of his narrow escape from the Philistines. David had fled to the Philistine city of Gath because King Saul was determined to kill him. But when he arrived, the king of Gath was warned against David. Upon hearing of that, David used his wits, pretending to be a madman, scratching at the gate and drooling into his beard. The king had him sent away saying, “Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” (1 Sam. 21.15).
David didn’t congratulate himself for his clever escape, but immediately ascribes to God all blessing and praise for delivering him. He recognized God’s absolute sovereignty in all the circumstances of his life, even his being placed in that extremely dangerous situation. Looking back, he saw it as a glorious display of God’s protection and oversight right down to the placing of the means of David’s escape into his mind, his pretended madness. As such, David saw not only the duty, but the privilege of blessing, praising and thanking God for even those difficult and negative circumstances in his life.
And he would without hesitation give open expression to it with his mouth as well as his pen. In fact, this would be his response “at all times”, no matter what was happening to him. As far as David was concerned, he was one of God’s covenantal children who was loved with an everlasting, steadfast, covenantal love. Note the title “Lord” which is God’s covenantal name, Jehovah. You might say it is His personal name with his children and so David feels perfectly free to use it.
This event and David’s response certainly encourages us to test ourselves. Is our blessing and praise of God occurring at all times, and is it continually in our mouths? If we’re truly honest with ourselves, we’re not always faithful in doing this even when good things happen, or for the marvelous blessings that are ours through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
Think of it! We, the undeserving, are fully forgiven, we’re new creatures in Christ, we’re being perfected through the gracious process of sanctification, we have the living hope of the guaranteed full and eternal life to come with resurrected bodies, we, with perpetual lovingkindness, are now protected, preserved, provided for and guided through the whole course of this life, held tight by our Lord who will never let us go, or lessen His love for us.
But now, what about when there are bad things like affliction, illness, financial difficulties, loss, relationship problems, persecution, tribulation or danger like in the case of David? Is our blessing and praise of God occurring at all times, and continually in our mouths?
Joseph’s brothers hated him and they sold him into slavery. He ended up in prison, but God! That’s right, but God continually had His hand on Joseph and his circumstances. Through the course of God’s providential workings, he was raised up to be second only to Pharaoh himself. Later, he and his brothers were reunited, and he forgave them. When their father Jacob died, however, the brothers feared that Joseph would use that opportunity to take revenge. But when they came to Joseph begging for forgiveness and their lives, he simply said, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Gen. 50.20). God meant it for good! That was Joseph’s blessing and praise of God for that time when those very negative and evil things happened to him. And he didn’t hesitate to use his mouth to give full expression to it.
God not only used those events to graciously preserve Jacob and his family per His covenant with Jacob’s grandfather Abraham, but they served to bring Joseph into that gracious mindset where he by faith recognized God’s hand in all of it. Joseph was able to see his role in God’s redemptive purpose established in that covenant whereby out of this fallen world God would redeem a people for Himself. And that work of rescue would be fully and finally accomplished by the redemptive work of the “Seed” that was promised so long ago in the garden (Gen. 3.15), God the Son in the flesh, Jesus Christ.
We read a very similar truth from the Apostle Paul in Romans: “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (v. 28). He didn’t write that all things are good, but that they all work together for good. Just like Joseph’s case, every single event and set of circumstances in the life of a true believer are for their good. But the key to the fullness of that verse is often overlooked. This promise is for those who love God, are called, but it’s all for God’s purpose, not ours. And what is that purpose? It’s in the next verse where we read, “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (v. 29).
Amazing grace! for “we know that when He (Jesus Christ) is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn. 3.2). Beloved, your trials, afflictions, tribulations, disappointments, losses, illness and even the virus are all lovingly designed by your heavenly Father for your good which is to bring you into conformity to Christ. In that light we can with Paul really say that, “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4.17). Afflictions, that’s how a true believer in Christ comes into the fullness of God’s chief end for man, which is to glorify God and thereby enjoy Him forever!
Beloved, does the contemplation of that gracious and remarkable reality cause you to bless the Lord at all times, under every circumstance with His praise continually in your mouth? By God’s grace, may it be so.