What I Want My Praise To Be

1     I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Psalm 34:1a)

O Lord, the challenge of praise at all times! Not so much that I don't know that you don't deserve it but that I don't feel like it. Some would argue that it is only human that there are times when I don't feel like offering you praise, when my voice is not ready to lift itself high in worship and extol the virtues of the one who has done all to bring me all that I have. From a human standpoint, I can certainly see the logic there.

But from a godly standpoint, from the point of view of a redeemed person, I cannot see that logic. David did not see it. The redeemed ought to bless the Lord at all times is him opinion! The praise of God ought always be in their mouths. The ones whom God has brought to eternal life ought to live to worship and offer thanksgiving and praise to their God.

Now, I don't think that he means this as any kind of servitude. I don't believe that David intended or had in mind the kind of praise that we think of when we think of monks in a monastery, offering blank and empty, mechanical servitude born of a sense of trying to please God of some desire to please Him legally somehow, desperately hoping that we can balance the books by our effort. No, that is surely not David's intention.

Nor is he speaking of any kind of obligatory service that would follow after salvation that is "tacked onto" our relationship God as a means to keep it right and vibrant. David is not saying that there is some means by which we "must" keep things going or they die if we are not careful.

Likewise, David is not saying that we are somehow purchase the good pleasure of God with our praise. He is not saying that, as we praise him, we are somehow "buying" His favor and thus He is disposed to do good things for us. Sadly, many in Church history have this, but that is a fairy tale. That good favor was purchased by Christ alone. You and I cannot BE good enough to satisfy God, which is why Christ had to come in the first place.

No, David is simply saying that this continual praise is simply the response of the redeemed heart! The heart for whom God done such a magnificent thing will wish to praise Him and will wish to praise Him continually - as much it can and often as it can!

The verb in the phrase is "cohortive" in Hebrew, meaning that it expresses very strong intention, hence the "I Will Bless" in English. It means to bless another or speak words invoking Divine favor always with the intention that there will be a favorable circumstance resulting in the future. Most often the verb is used, of course, in regard to people. David here uses in regard to God Himself. There is nothing wrong with that, for there is no other human language to express the thought he intends.

"Praise" is adoration, thanksgiving, i.e., positive words about the excellence of another. Often these words are in the context of being sung in the Scripture. We see this often in the Bible, as they are here! They are often word of reputation, words that cause a person's reputation to be enhanced, that characterize Him in some fashion, that give that person glory or praise, words of renown. Again that fits this context well.

"All" is a catch all construct that that refers to the totality of a thing. It refers to the totality of thing, the entirety, its completeness. "Times" is actually singular in Hebrew. The word refers to time in the most general sense possible. The season, the idea most general sense of time one can imagine. David is saying that he will praise the Lord "Always" . His intention is to avoid any make the statement without any reference to time at all, just a blanket commitment to praise the Lord!

It that not wonderful! How marvelous a commitment to the praise of God that to make for any believer! I will praise the Lord - always! No consideration circumstance; no consideration what may occur, what I might feel like, nothing! I will praise the Lord regardless! O Lord - that is what I want my praise for you to be like!

Note also that this praise is also done with his mouth - it is oral, note just in the meditations of his heart it is for all to hear! It is public praise! Not to make too much of this, more than is intended, but it one thing to be full of thanksgiving and praise in our hearts, but it is another all together to be full of praise vocally, publicly, in front of the world, before people! David's intent is that God's reputation be enhanced, we saw that from the word he used for "bless". He desires that God's reputation before all men be lifted up and they think more of Him as a result. That cannot happen if he is "oral" with his praise. And so David spoke his praise - he shouted his praise form every housetop!

Nor can it happen if we are not open and out loud with our praise as well. It well and good to be all full praise in our hearts, and I sure that God approves of that - but that is not where our duty ends and that is not what the example of the Scripture is. Our pattern is that of the person of David - I will praise the Lord at all times - His praise shall continually be in my mouth!