SATURDAY 13th
Psalm 34
NIV (v1) – ‘I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.’
ESV (v1) – ‘I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.’
Over the last two previous devotions I mention the communal worship of the saints, those times when we come together to worship the LORD together. We can call it with another name, congregational worship. I listened to some singing recently from Church conferences around 40 years ago and it was so different to what you often hear in conferences today, back then it really was communal or congregational singing, for the congregation wasn’t drowned out with a worship band playing the music so loud and in such a way that it was difficult for the congregation to join in, I’m getting old! I do enjoy some of the more modern songs, and some of the worship bands, but there is something powerful about good congregational singing.
What I want to add today alongside communal worship is the thought of continual worship. Yes, it is good to come to worship together, but as important as well is that we continually worship, as our text says, ‘His praise shall continually be on my lips.’ Now, of course worship isn’t only just about singing, it is also about coming and bowing before God with humble hearts and adoring him for who he is and for what he has done, it is an acknowledgment from us the redeemed of the Lord that God is good, God is merciful, God is faithful, it is an expression from our hearts of gratitude and praise. We can do it communally but we need also to do it when alone, it should be the desire of our hearts to be worshipping the Lord with all that we are and with all that we have and all of the time. Our lives as we live them should be an act of continual worship.
Later in the Psalm David makes another statement, or an invitation, I will call it a come, watch, or come and see. It is verses 8-14, ‘Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.’ The fruit of the continual worship of our lives should not only resound to continual glory to God, but it should also impact our daily lives and as a result we will have an ongoing testimony that we will want to share with others, inviting them to come and see that the LORD is good, and thus part of our worship should be our continual testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Notice what the psalmist is declaring, his testimony, come and see or come and taste of the goodness of God, come, take refuge in him, that means that while the storms of life are raging around us we have a safe refuge, and as we seek the LORD we will lack no good thing, for he is constantly caring for us. And as we recognise the ongoing goodness of God what does it lead to? Further expression of praise and thanksgiving. Taking us back to the first verse, ‘I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.’ Just a couple of verses from the New Testament to close with: ‘And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ . . .’ (Ephesians 5:18–21) ‘Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.’ (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)