“Continuous Praise”
By Rev. Everett R. Kimble, Sr.
“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, therefore, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together” (Psalm 34:1-3, KJV).
Simply put David says that praise is what he does. For everything and in every situation, praise is always a good place to start. Praise God when you wake up in the morning. While driving in your car, (be careful) Praise Him. Praise the Almighty when you are uncertain of your next decision. In moments of grief, praise Him. When your boss calls you in and gives you the bad news, Praise Him. When you get the next job you have been created for, Praise Him. When the doctor tells you that there is nothing more he can do, or she comes in and tells you that the prognosis is good, give God Praise. When things are going just the way you want them too, and when things are not going so well, God is worthy to be Praise.
Praise is powerful, and David understood the power of praise. It is believed that David wrote this Psalm in response to a situation where he had acted like a madman to save his life. I can just imagine David now, disgusted by what he had to do, but still praising God for what God had done.
Have you ever noticed the beauty of a mountain range? Looking at them, you notice that they are just a series of peaks and valleys. People will travel from miles away just to get a glimpse of them. Where there are very high mountains, the snow-covered peaks are the main attraction from far off, but when you get closer, you realize that the valleys are just as beautiful as the peaks. They exist together because you can’t have one without the other.
Our lives are just like the mountain range, a series of peaks and valleys. We tend to dread going through the valleys, but we can’t have highs without pressing through some lows. Praise is the thing that allows us to feel the beauty, even when we are unable to see the beauty in a good or a rough place.
David had his share of peaks and valleys, but he wrote this Psalm with confidence and certainty. And here is what I encourage you to do, all through the day take time to give God Praise and everyday will be a good day.
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 (Psalm 34:1)
Have a blessed, beautiful and praise filled Friday!
