The Every-Day-Ness of Praise

By Bill Elliff

There are some things I do every single day: get up, take a shower, brush my teeth, comb my hair. I’m glad these are routine to me (and I imagine others are too!) But the Psalmist had another daily regimen.

“I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. (Psalm 145:1-3

When things go the way I think they should or not… “Every day I will bless you.”

When governments rise and fall… “Every day I will bless you.”

When conflict arises within and without…. “Every day I will bless you.”

When I can see the way clearly and when I am confused… “Every day I will bless you.”

When people like me or hate me… “Every day I will bless you.”

When I am applauded or persecuted… “Every day I will bless you.”

When my heart is grieving or rejoicing… “Every day I will bless you.”

When the church is weak or strong… “Every day I will bless you.”

When we are in a day of judgment or of revival… “Every day I will bless you.”

The key to David’s rightness was the consistency of His praise and his simple faith in the sovereignty of God. It did not mean that he did not know sadness and grief and a realm of emotions (just look though the Psalms!) and that he did not cry out for help and mercy. But in everything he gave thanks and praise to the One who is above all and sovereignly moving in the affairs of men.

The greatest leader other than Christ in the New Testament observed the same thing. “In everything give thanks,” Paul said. Even when his heart was “burdened beyond meausure” and when he “despaired even of my life” he continued to “rejoice in the Lord always.” He knew God was in control and his life and human history was in God’s sovereign hands.

God is marching toward the final consummation of this age and He is right in His judgments and on time in His movements. He is worthy of our praise every day!