I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! —Psalm 34:1-3
Over the next eight weeks, we will be memorizing Psalm 34. We might think of it as a heavenly summer feast prepared for the bride of Christ. There is a seat at this table reserved for you who are His. Feel the radiance of His glory on your face and be unashamed. Taste and see His goodness, drink in the fragrance of His beauty, listen to the music of His creation, and join in blessing the LORD at all times.
I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
Bless the LORD. If you’re like me, you may be a little unsure as to what exactly this means and what you are to do. Most of us know that offering a blessing to others is a way to do them good and ask God’s favor for them. But how can we mere finite mortals bless Yahweh the eternal God? God does not need anything from us, yet He makes Himself known to us and invites us in. With newly opened eyes, our knowledge of Him will generate a soulful response. Webster’s dictionary defines “blessing” as a statement of divine favor such as a benediction. In Hebrew, the word here for blessing is “barak,” and, in this context, means to kneel in adoration. How do we bless the LORD? We’re not left to wonder. The semicolon after the first line in Psalm 34 signals an explanation is coming.
We bless the LORD by praising Him, “his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” We bless the LORD by boasting in Him, “My soul makes its boast in the LORD.” We bless the LORD by submitting to Him, “the humble hear.” We bless the LORD by being glad in Him, “the humble will be glad.” We bless the LORD by magnifying Him, “Oh, magnify the LORD with me.” We bless the LORD by exalting Him, “exalt his name.” We bless the LORD by the unity we share in Him, “together,” reflecting Him to one another.
The LORD is the lover of our souls and our heart’s desire. He redeems the life of His servants. Let’s not shrink from opening our mouths and expressing what He has already created in our hearts—blessing and glad praises to Him at all times. Let’s ask for His help to worship and exalt Him together in all circumstances, in our homes, in our churches, as we work, in our neighborhoods and cities.
For Reflection
Read through Psalm 34 each day this week. Write down any themes that repeat.
What other ways can you “bless the LORD”? Ask Him to work in your soul the self-forgetting worship that blesses Him.