Devotion Corner
Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
It’s easy to bless the name of the Lord when life is pleasant and easy. Many will profess to love the Lord under such comfortable circumstances. There are many ‘fair-weather Christians’. Yet when those storms of life gather overhead, those same fair-weather Christians soon abandon their words of praise unto God. This is the great marker of the true soldier of Christ, those who walk through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil, for they know their God is with them. Even when their prayers seem to go unheard, and life is just an unending barrage of tests and trials, they still bless the Lord God.
How can such a thing happen in anyone? The natural course of things in such bitter times is to complain against God, not to continue on in singing heartfelt blessings unto Him. That is why such an act speaks of Heaven, declaring to the suffering soul that though the times are hard, they will end, and they will be taken home to eternal safety and rest. When the truly redeemed heart ponders on these certain hopes, it cannot help but be moved to unending praise of the Lord! The hard and testing storms of life are still blowing strong, but the Holy Spirit testifies to the reborn heart in Christ, that it rides the stormy waves with He who can calm the storm with but a word. Ah, what a reason to continually bless the Lord God!
And so, we bless the Lord at all times, in fair-weather or foul, for His goodness is not based upon the fleeting circumstances of the day. He knows our needs and moves to meet them in His perfect timing. Yet His goodness far exceeds even such gracious provisions. His goodness has provided a Saviour, His only begotten Son, to deliver you and I from God’s wrath against our sin. This same Son, this same Saviour, has paid the debt of sin we incurred, and now sits in Heaven in risen glory at the right hand of the Father. Here, He intercedes for us, pleading our cause as we stumble through these mortal days. He upholds us with His faithfulness and shall perfect the work He has begun in us. All so that we are made ready to step into the heavenly home He is preparing for us. That eternal home in our Father’s house, where our songs of praise will continue on joyfully, forevermore. Amen.
