February 2024
Nougat 23
So yesterday we looked at Blessing God, and the nuances of blessings based on the object – human or Divine. (Please note, I use object rather than subject as it is directed at, though it would be equally appropriate to say subject because the worship is ALL ABOUT God). In our reflection, we referenced Job who was committed to worshiping God regardless. Today’s Holy Nougat
“I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” Psalms 34:1 NIV
Ceaseless Praise? Yes – At All Times
A time-honored, though perhaps less-remembered love song promises to love the object of desire ‘until the 12th of never’. I suspect the author might have read this psalm, or was aware of the extent of Gods love for us. Whether that was the case or not, it is interesting to note that in the ‘original’ text, ‘at all times’ and ‘continually’ are placed together, thus underscoring the importance of the action. The psalmist will definitely be praising God until the 12th of never.
In reality, the psalmist might have worn the traditional phylacteries symbolic of Jewish devotion to God’s Law (see Deuteronomy 6:8; and 11:18). However the clause following at all times is indicative that the psalmist did a bit more than worship by rote. For the psalmist, worship was a lifestyle; and assuming that the introduction ‘A Psalm of David’ is correct, this was even more than the spoken word.
David, though human, was extremely passionate about God. Before there was ‘Dancing with the Stars’ there was David. His praise dance made the headlines. Can you imagine something like: King loses clothing dancing unto God. And David cared far less about public opinion than he did about giving to God the glory due to God’s name. He was a songwriter whose timeless praise poetry stirs hearts and spirits to worshiping YHWH, inviting all to ‘kneel before the Lord our Maker.
David praised God in battle – remember his wrath when Goliath kept threatening the Israelites? 1 Samuel 17:26b says that in addition to asking what the reward was for overthrowing Goliath, David described him as an ‘uncircumcised Philistine that has … taunted and defied … the Living God.’ For David threatening the Israelite army was disparaging God’s capability. It is no wonder that when he did approach Goliath, he stated ‘you come at me … [with your man made weapons] but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts (see 1 Samuel 17:45).
David understood the assignment and oozed worship. Goliath … dead at the get go with David, despite all Goliath’s threats and bluster. Praise was David’s not so secret weapon. And it worked. Foes were vanquished, some at the very thought of battling God’s elect.
But there was yet another element to David’s praise life. Despite everything that transpired, rather because of his discovery of God’s matchless Love, David sought to build a permanent house of worship for his God. And when God denied him permission to build, David began to set aside materials for its eventuating (see 2 Samuel 7). Now that is extreme worship!
From the examples shared, it is clear that extolling (ie worshipping) God is possible at all times. But siblings, we have an even better deal than David, as we can host the worship service in our hearts! It begins with acknowledging Gods faithfulness and mercy through Jesus, and culminates with our current acts of worship.
Ceaseless praise; not mission impossible, but very possible in our lives. The resources are at the ready, the only missing element is you and me. Let’s praise the Lord
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May all we seek be found in Christ