At All Times, Part 1

Verse 1 says I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  

If I’m honest with myself, I must acknowledge that I am not conscious of God throughout the day. I have a God-conscious adrenaline surge in the morning during my devotions (which thankfully I crave when I awake). But then I go through the day mindful of MY activities and focused on MY desired accomplishments.  

Psalms 34:1, I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth, reminds me that I need further spiritual maturity in order to live and breathe in the Spirit with a stream of consciousness that is soaked in the awareness of the presence of God. 

Now, don’t get me wrong. My activities and accomplishments are not usually anti-God, per se. But I am not “mindful” or actively conscious of God most of the time. Most of the time, I am simply pursuing my daily activities focused on the events around me in my physical world. But, oh to be more mindful of God always. 

Progress: Thinking about God 

I do want to encourage you though, in my progress and yours as well. Since I have significantly re-committed my life (about four years ago) to begin each day with God in His Word, (reading, reflecting and writing), I am progressing in my awareness of the presence of God throughout the day. The reality of His presence with me and the work He is doing in my mind and soul have increased. It is good. It is delightful progress. So be encouraged in your progress as well.  

Progress: Speaking about God 

To carry this theme further, this psalm conveys the sense of not only “thinking” about God always, but “speaking” about God always.  

I will bless and His praise shall continually be in my MOUTH. Also, My soul will make its boast in the Lord, and O, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. 

When we dwell upon the beauty and grace of our God toward us, it is natural for us to want to share our praise of God with others.  

Try This 

A helpful and simple way to apply this Psalm to your life is to seek out fellow Christians and others throughout the day and speak simple phrases of praise and gratitude toward God. Make it a habit to speak to others and say: 

• God is good toward me today. I’m having some difficulties, but I sense His power and grace. 
• Are you sensing the presence of God today? I am especially aware of Him today and it makes a huge difference. 
• I’m feeling really grateful toward God today. How are you feeling? 
• I just wanted to let you know that God placed you on my heart today. I’m praying for you. 

Keep it simple and keep it humble. When we do this, we are prompting ourselves to stay close to God. We are also blessing others and encouraging them to be aware of the work of God in their lives. You are both worshiping your Lord throughout the day as well as serving others by bringing them along with you to worship. 

Father, forgive us for allowing our minds to wander throughout the day toward the things of this world. Our fears and anxieties are many. But we are grateful that You are always with us. We are in your thoughts continually. We are so blessed and grateful to have such a caring, kind and loving Father as You. May we see progress in our lives to think of you always, speak of You of often and bless You continually. Raise our heads and set our thoughts upon You. Amen.