In Psalm 34:1 David says "I will praise the Lord at all times, I will constantly speak His praises" (NLV) David wrote this Psalm while living in the desert as a fugitive, because Saul had threatened his life. God had promised David that he would be the next king of Israel years earlier, but instead of sitting on the throne, he was hiding in the desert. God uses David to teach us that praise is a response to who God is and has nothing to do with us or what is going on in our lives. We often equate praise with happiness and excitement, but praise is actually just an acknowledgment of a persons deeds or virtues, in this case God. Praise demonstrates that we have faith in God and that he is bigger than our circumstances. Hebrews 13:15 tells us to offer up a sacrifice of praise continuously. Consider this, is a sacrifice always an enjoyable experience or is it a choice we make to do something that is right?

The Bible teaches us throughout that we are to live a lifestyle of praise, acknowledging who God is continuously. Priests in the Old Testament offered up "perpetual incense". There is absolutely nothing in our lives that can't be done with an attitude of praise, and all should be done with an attitude of praise.

My daughter has a song she sings that has been a reminder, as we have sung it with her many times, of the personal joy that can come when we continuously offer up a sacrifice of praise.
When I rise up, When I lie down
When I walk along the way
I will give you praise

When I come in, When I go out
When I'm at work or play
I will give you praise

All day, all day, all day long
I'll be singin' a song
All day, all day
I will give you praise

Making a choice to praise God often has a way of changing our outlook of life as we recognize that God is big and we are small. Focusing on who God is allows us to remember that God is in control.

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