Making Much of Jesus

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1

And so begins one of David’s songs of praise for the Lord. And what a song it is! It’s hard for me to fathom what David must have been like to be around; the praises of the Lord fell continually from his lips, and Psalm 34 is a shining example of it. By reason of praise, the saints are promised provision, protection, and best of all, salvation!

David here was making much of His Deliverer… He was making much of Jesus! There was a time I did too, but I lost sight of that. I got to the point where I was happy to make much of biblical truth by writing responses to false teachings and vain traditions. But Jesus’ praise was not continually in my mouth.

This is only my third post here, and looking back at my two introductory posts, I cannot help but hang my head low. There is certainly nothing wrong with hating every false way as David did, but the subject of David’s life was not refutation of those false ways… The subject of David’s life was Jesus Christ!

And so we see in Paul’s life, “For me to live is Christ.”:”(Philippians 1:21.)”: And Paul was not one to leave well enough alone when it came to the churches he was in contact with giving space to false teachers, false gospels, and empty traditions. Reading the words of Paul in response to such problems shows that he sought to make much of Jesus more than to simply promote pure doctrine.

Timothy’s Burden still stands for those passages found in 2 Timothy. My desire is still to “preach the Word” as 2 Timothy 4:2, but what is the Word if not the Scriptures which testify of Christ?:”(John 5:39.)”:

I have eternal life because of Christ, but I want to be able to say of myself, as Paul was able, “for me to live is Christ.” And as an extension of that, perhaps “for me to blog is Christ.” May His praise be continually in my mouth, and my I bless the Lord at all times.

Here is the entirety of Psalm 34; may it be a blessing to you as it has been to me.

1. I will blessed the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5. The looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
9. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
10. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
11. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
13. Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
14. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
15. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
16. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all troubles.
18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
20. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
21. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
22. The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.