Boasting In The Lord

I will praise the LORD at all times.

I will constantly speak his praises.

I will boast only in the Lord;

let all who are helpless take heart.

Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;

let us exalt his name together.

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.

He freed me from all my fears.

Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;

no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

Psalm 34:1-5

Sometimes people who come across with the most bravado are actually the most fearful. Their boasts mask a dark reality of fear. But there’s another type of boasting grounded in reality: boasting in the Lord. In God, there’s plenty to boast about. The Almighty has the power and the desire to save all who put their trust in him. In this prayer, David was boasting in God because he had narrowly escaped from his enemy. King Saul had wanted to murder him, but David, through some shrewd cunning, had escaped. But in this prayer, David gave all the credit to God. He viewed his deliverance as an answer to prayer.

From what near-disaster has God delivered you recently? With David, boast in the Lord and direct your thanks and praise to him.

• O Lord, thank you for answering me when I prayed to you about . . .