All Day Praise

“And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.” (Ps 35:28 AV)

 If one considers what might come in a day, this is a pretty incredible promise.  The first might not be a problem.  But to be in a state of mind and heart to praise God even when things are horrible is not the norm.  When David wrote this psalm, he was asking the LORD for intervention and relief from his enemies.  We don’t know exactly who they may have been.  He had so many.  What we do know is David made this promise in the context of having his prayer eventually answered.  He was able to speak of God’s righteousness and praise all day long not because he had gotten relief.  Rather, because he knew he was about to get relief.

Every now and again, I am fascinated by communication.  There might be a program on TV that is heavy in dialogue and light on physical action or instruction.  When I watch something like that, it dawns on me just how powerful words can be.  Before any action is taken, there are a multiplicity of words spoken.  In most cases, words can have a greater impact than actions.  I am struck by the necessity of communication.  Every being that has a will also can communicate.  Some to a lesser degree.  Or, like man, to a greater degree.  Communication is necessary for the common function of a society.  Communication is necessary to develop relationships.  Communication can take many forms.  Language is just one example.  We speak all day long.  We talk in words, with our eyes, and even with our demeanor.  Our expressions are the window into our values, goals, and self-definition.  It would be impossible to be human without the ability to communicate in some way.  Even those who are paralyzed seek to make some connection.  Self-expression is the very definition of our existence.  We speak as long as we are awake.  This communication goes on non-stop.  There is always something we are trying to convey.  There is something we are trying to express.

David vowed to speak of God’s righteousness and praise all day long.  His whole manner of communicating with God and man would be around who God is, what He requires, and What He has done.  This is not a forced conversation.  It is who he is.  Even though hardships are part of his life, he will seek to praise the LORD and proclaim His righteousness.  Perhaps this is why the LORD used him to write so many psalms.  He had the tongue of a ready writer.  His life, although difficult, was not one filled with complaints.  He had every reason to be disgruntled.  Suffering for the actions of others and on the run, more than one should hope for, David never complained.  If he offered a complaint it was always in the context of seeking God’s help that he might continue to serve Him.  David had a heart after God.  He loved Him with his whole being.  When he made the promise above, he meant it to the core of his soul.  No matter what God brought or allowed, he was going to praise God and speak of His righteousness all the day long.  No matter what.