Psalm 34:1-3 (emphasis added) …
I will praise the Lord at ALL times,
I will CONSTANTLY speak his praises.
I will boast ONLY in the Lord;
Let ALL who are discouraged take heart.
Come let US tell of the Lord’s greatness;
Let US exalt his name TOGETHER.
The verbs “will” and “shall” are the strongest verbs in the English language…they say commitment. David, purposed in his heart (committed) to praise the Lord … at all times … constantly … and to boast only in the Lord…and so must we. This lifestyle of praise comes out of our reverence for the Lord. To reverence the Lord means to show deep respect, to honor him … shown through our obedience to Him in what we do, say, and think … through a humble attitude (a teachable spirit) … and through genuine worship.
Genuine worship is more than worshipping God for what He has or can or will do on our behalf. Genuine worship is our reaction to God’s very presence in our lives! Think about that … genuine worship is our reaction to God’s very presence in our lives! God dwells in us by His Holy Spirit…His presence is with us 24/7… how can we not worship Him?
Worship is also a powerful weapon against the enemy. “Come let US tell of the Lord’s greatness; let US exalt his name TOGETHER." This verse speaks to me of corporate worship. There is power and strength and encouragement as we exalt His name and tell of His greatness together.
Psalm 34 is full of God’s promises, some of which are...God pays attention to those who call on Him...God always hears and acts on the behalf of those who love Him. This Psalm is such an encouragement; let’s read it often. What is God speaking to you in this Psalm? Take a moment to share on this blog. By doing so, we encourage each other!
2 comments:
One thing that i like in this Psalm is verse 5... "Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him."
By having to look at someone's face, i can't hide my feelings -- they come through in my eyes or expression. But i think that, not only that, but it allows who HE IS to shine into whatever i'm feeling. And that brings release of what i might be trying to hide.
When i first read the phrase "give Him your warmest smile," my first thought was that of having to put on a courtesy, fake smile... But then the next phrase, "never hide your feelings" changed my perception and spoke to me that it's ok to show Him when i'm feeling hurt or angry, sad or fearful. It doesn't say "never hide your happy feelings" - it just says "feelings."
God is so awesome to welcome us with whatever feelings we have going on inside -- after all, He made us with the ability to experience them all!
The NIV says in verse 3 "Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together". I heard someone talk once saying that our purpose in life is to give Glory to God, of course, we know this but that time I heard it, it stuck with me but thinking of the "together" part means more to me right now. So amazing how we read verses different each time as God reveals it to us and what we need to hear. I think Christians need to be "together" more now than ever as we see so many things in our society almost mocking our beliefs. So let's glorify together! Blogging is one way to strengthen us and I appreciate it.
Post a Comment