I Will Praise You as Long as I Live

Daily Devotional – Saturday, November 25, 2023
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name, I will lift up my hands.
Psalms 63:4 (NIV)

The sixty-third psalm is worth the meditation of every Christian. It is believed that in the early Christian church, this powerful poem was to be sung in public every day. The title of this psalm suggests it was written while David was in the wilderness of Judea, probably running away from his rebellious son, Absalom.

I Will Bless You As Long as I am Alive

Interestingly, David does not cry for help as he does in other psalms when he is in trouble. He may be surrounded by a desert, but David’s heart is full of gratitude to God. Indeed, his greatest longing is to be filled with the presence of God. In a moment of uncertainty, the son of Jesse chose to focus on the greatness of God.

As if defying his enemies and his uncomfortable surroundings, David vows, “I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” (Psalms 63:4). In essence, it does not matter the circumstances he finds himself in or who the enemy is that threatens his life. David will praise the Lord as long as there is breath in his nostrils!

I Will Praise You As Long As I Live

Perhaps this is the song that David and Silas were singing on that dreadful night in a jail in Philippi. The two missionaries were in jail, but their hearts were free because they were God’s children. Maybe this psalm and the miraculous intervention of God on behalf of His servants is what later motivated Paul, while in another jail, to urge the Philippians to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).

David’s attitude can be ours, too. When we remember that God freely gives us breath every day, we will praise Him as long as we live. We will lift up our hands to God even in our lowest moments because we know He is in control. Nevertheless, such a conviction and profound expression of faith do not develop overnight. It is the product of walking with God in good and bad times and proving He is indeed faithful and trustworthy.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name, I will lift up my hands.