"I will extol the Lord at all times, His praise will always be on my lips." (Psalm 34:1 NIV)
extol: verb transitive [Latin extollo; ex and tollo, to raise.] To raise in words or eulogy; to praise; to exalt in commendation; to magnify. We extol virtues, noble exploits, and heroism. Men are too much disposed to extol the rich and despise the poor. (Websters Dictionary 1828)
I read this verse several days ago and its instruction immediately became a burr in my saddle. Extol the Lord at ALL times. Conviction coursed through me. I wondered, what percentage of the time am I extolling the Lord? Certainly not ALL the time. All is the most absolute and inclusive word I know.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the Lord and I praise Him often, but if we are putting pen to paper, the hard numbers probably fall at 3% on any given day. Perhaps on a fairly focused day, 5%? There are just so many other matters that preoccupy.
The text repeated itself today, a holy echo reverberating through my cluttered chambers.
"It is not the dead who praise the Lord, those who go down to the place of silence; it is we who extol the Lord, both now and forevermore." (Psalm 116:14 NIV)
Conviction constricted with a second squeeze. How can I raise my awareness of God’s mercy and magnify Him more often? Brother Lawerence bent to pick up straw and blessed God with the action, how might I grow in my extolation?
I’ve spent weeks with the patriarchs now, men and women who had hundreds of years to learn to walk with God rightly. You and I don’t have the luxury of that kind of time, but we do have the Holy Spirit and a personal copy of God’s word. We can increase our learning curve. We must be better students: ardently listening and applying instruction. Our opportunities to worship from the flesh are limited, they are windows quickly closing. How will we invest our time on earth effectively?
There’s no easy route to continuous extolation. It’s a day by day discipline, a nail driving out another nail until our whole life has been reframed by praise.
Lord, please forgive us for our forgetfulness. It seems we are bombarded with thoughts far off from praise. We waste our breath when we fail to extol You. Help us, this day, to fulfill our purpose in extolation. May Your name be ever on our lips, Your song in our heart and Your mercy in mind. Amen.