"1I will bless the LORD(C) at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2My soul(D) makes its boast in the LORD;
let the humble hear and(E) be glad.
3Oh,(F) magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
4I(G) sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5Those who look to him are(H) radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed." -Psalm 34:1-5
Sometimes I think we forget to do this. Life gets hard, our circumstances get overwhelming, and we lose focus. This doesn't say "I'll bless the Lord sometimes" or "I'll bless the Lord whenever things are going well." No. It says at ALL times. In every situation we are commanded to bless the Lord. I want to be like David: intelligent in head and inflamed in heart - he knew to whom the praise was due, and what it was due, and for what and when. The passage goes on to say that our soul makes its boast in the Lord. Our soul is the very core of us, open and exposed to God. And how awesome is it that we serve a God who is not unapproachable or distant? There isn't a time where we cannot approach the throne of grace of our Heavenly Father. And not only does He answer us, but He delivers us. What a God we serve! Seriously! The last verse of this passage is one of my favorites. When we look to Him our faces are radiant. Radiant. That makes me smile every time I read it! As Christians we have a different "glow" about us. Don't believe me? Ask my friends who took a trip to the Salvation Army last week. The lady who worked there knew they were from Liberty because she said they had a glow about them, and their faces were radiant. Even though we go through hard stuff and we may feel weathered by the storms of this life, we are radiant. We are shining. And we will never, ever be put to shame. God never wastes a wound.
