At All Times

Psalm 34:1–3, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.”

It is easy to praise God when life is going well.

It is much harder to say with David, “I will bless the LORD at all times.”

Psalm 34 was not written from a place of comfort and ease. David had experienced fear and danger, and the rest of the Psalm speaks of the LORD hearing, delivering, protecting, and remaining near to those who are brokenhearted.

That makes the opening words even more powerful.

David did not say, “I will praise the LORD when everything works out the way I hoped.”

He said, “at all times.”

Our circumstances change. God does not.

Some days bring joy. Others bring heartache. Some prayers are answered exactly as we hoped, while others require us to wait. But the worthiness of God is never determined by the kind of day we are having.

Then David invites others into his praise: “O magnify the LORD with me.”

We cannot make God greater than He already is. To magnify Him is to make His greatness the focus of our attention. And sometimes we need one another to do that. That is one reason worship with the people of God is so precious.

When my eyes are fixed on my trouble, someone beside me may remind me of His goodness.

So let us exalt His name together.

Act Today: Before you tell the LORD what is wrong today, begin by telling Him what is right about Him. Praise Him for who He is, and encourage someone else to praise Him with you.