Category Archives: Passage Reflection

Psalm 34:2

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My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
let the humble hear and be glad.

I am first drawn to the word soul because it is what is doing the boasting. The deepest part of my being is where my soul resides. From it comes the essence of life itself. It is eternal and without it, no person can live beyond their physical self.

From our soul comes our life, our thoughts, our visceral self. The root of all we are is found in our soul. Often the scriptures use the words “heart, soul, and mind interchangeably, but always with the understanding that the writer is pointing to the depth of one’s being. This is important to me when I am trying to understand what the psalmist’s soul is doing, boasting in the Lord. So I see his boasting as not being a casual assent to the Lord’s value or person, nor is it a passing thought that randomly comes to him. Since it is his soul that is doing this, I see it to mean his very life’s essence is doing this act.

So to press this verse for a better understanding, the psalmist is saying that his very being, the essence of who he is only finds what is worthy of bragging, elevating, praising, to be the Lord himself. I know I am too often given to speak quickly, even in praising the Lord. Phrases like, “Thank the Lord” or “God is good” too easily fall from my lips without the engagement of my soul. Not that either of those phrases is untrue, just the opposite, the truthfulness doesn’t negate the lack of depth from which I am stating those truths. The difference might simply be the earnestness or lack thereof, or maybe even more likely the lack of forethought and thus the diminished value of the truth. Perhaps it is akin to telling my wife I love her before I drift off to sleep, but not taking the time to reflect on why I love her or how much more I should love her. If from my soul, I am certain it would be more than a spoke phrase, and even more certain that she would receive the words with more meaning when spoken from the “heart”.

With the understanding of the source of the action, what am I to understand is that the writer is saying that when he is blessing the Lord at all times and his praises are on his lips, it is because he has engaged his soul and it results in his declaring that the only one worthy of boasting in is the Lord.  The Lord alone deserves any accolades, exaltations, and praise. Because of this, the psalmist knows that those who are humble (not boasting in themselves) will be glad. I take that to mean they will stand with the psalmist in this declaration and do so with both confidence and certainty which results in joy and gladness.

It would be an easy step to see that in verse 3 he is enjoining these humble in magnifying and exalting.

Psalm 34: 1

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1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

I find this verse very interesting. The verse gives us an understanding of what we are to do, how we are to do it, and when we are to do it.

It is very simple.

  • What: Bless the Lord
  • How: Praise Him;
  • When: At all times and continually

Blessings and Thanksgiving

The phrase “Bless the Lord” is found throughout the scriptures. I have always understood this phrase to mean the opposite of God blessing us. When the LORD blesses His creation He is giving strength and help to those He is blessing. He is “adding to” their lives.  When we “Bless the Lord” it is our “response” to His blessing us. Since we cannot add to God in any way or fashion, the phrase is easily understood as “thanksgiving” “rejoicing” “grateful”.  So when the Psalmist is saying “I will bless the LORD” he is saying he will give thanks to the LORD for all the blessings received from His hand.

This is key in understanding the rest of the two verses. I will give thanks to the LORD.

The end of that statement sets the standard for blessing the Lord. We are to do this “at all times”.  As a Christian this is one of the strongest tools we have to help ourselves and those who are struggling with a dark season in their life.  It is a strong tool because it calls us to look to the Lord our Creator, which will show us the many blessings He has given us, which then starts the process of moving from “woe is me” to “God is good”.

Although it is one of our strongest helps in counseling, it is not an easy process to begin. You see the verse is telling us to “bless the LORD at “all times””. This means in the sunlight and the darkness, in the valleys and the mountain tops, in plenty and in dearth, in life and in death.  To meet a brother or sister who is in the despair of loss or injury and to tell them to give thanks to the LORD is a challenging process, but the reward (blessing) is worth the effort.

Developing a heart of thanksgiving

To be able to fulfill this calling (Bless the Lord at all times) takes having a heart that is thankful. If I am focused on myself and my wants and desires I will usually miss out on seeing all the LORD has done for me, which would rightly require me to be thankful. For me to fulfill this expectation I need to be cultivating a heart of thanksgiving. It cannot be something I rummage through the closet of my heart looking for when I need it, like an old tennis racket or work boots. No, for me to have the strength to THANK THE LORD AT ALL TIMES, I need to feed my heart with the truth and wonders of God and His blessings towards me. Truth that speaks over my thoughts and blasts through my emotions. Truth that can be a solid rock which my faith is built upon.

Continually in my mouth

The verse closes with the words “His praise shall continually be in my mouth”. There can be volumes read on praising God, and much can be shared, but I want to follow the thought from “at all times” which I see as circumstantial and then move to “continually” which is linear time, chronological and not related to circumstance.

Where one is understood in the idea of thanking the LORD no matter what season of life I am in, this speaks to what comes out of my mouth. The first being regardless of life’s woe or wonders; the second the constant flow of a stream.

Is what comes from my mouth praiseworthy? Is what I am saying speaking of God’s greatness? Are my words heavenly or worldly? Kind or kindling? Soothing or stinging? Praise shall continually be in my mouth is no small matter but in actuality, an excellent quest for all who claim redemption by the blood of Christ Jesus.

Amen?