Wondered by the Word — The Bible in a YearSample

I Will Bless the Lord at All Times

Key Verse: Psalm 34:1-3

“I will bless the Lord at all times;  his praise will always be on my lips. I will boast in the Lord;  the humble will hear and be glad. Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me;  let us exalt his name together.”

This beautiful Psalm is a hymn of Thanksgiving. The original Hebrew title of this Psalm reads, “Concerning David when he pretended to be insane in the presence of King Achish of Gath.” 

At this moment, David has just escaped Saul’s presence and traveled to King Achish of Gath. But Achish’s servants said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Don’t they sing about him during their dances….” (I Samuel 21:11). This was a very dangerous place for David, too, because this king lived in the hometown of Goliath, who David had killed. In order to protect himself, David began acting insane in the king’s presence so the king did not want to have anything to do with him. You can read about the rest of this story in I Samuel 21:10-22:1.

As with many of the Psalms, David writes this from a place of gratitude, but also a place of experience of seeing the Lord deliver Him time and again. Let’s take a moment to reflect on the times you’ve experienced the Lord’s mercy, deliverance, and grace in a dangerous situation. How did it make you feel? 

In these moments, you may have the urge to tell everyone about His goodness. In the church I attended as a child they would have what was called a “testimony service.” During this time, people would come to the front of the church to simply boast in the Lord. 

That boasting would often be contagious, as the audience would erupt into thanksgiving and praise as they may have thought about their own situations and wanted to join in proclaiming the Lord’s greatness. 

Throughout this hymn not only is David praising the Lord but he encourages the reader to do the same, “Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me, let us exalt his name together” (verse 3). “Taste and see the the Lord is Good, How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!” (verse 8).

I encourage you to take some time today and simply boast in the Lord. Allow His praise to continually be on your lips. Lastly, reach out to a friend and exalt His name together. How have you seen the Lord deliver you from darkness? Let’s start there.

(Written by Jennifer Lucy Tyler)