I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have any being. May my meditation be sweet to Him; as for me, I will rejoice in the LORD (Psalm 104:33-34).

The last 30 days have been extremely busy and full of tasks, events, and ministry opportunities. I experienced the joy and relief of publishing a new Bible Study. Our Women’s Ministry Team worked for months with women from several congregations in our community to plan a Women’s Conference, and our church hosted the event in late October. The very next weekend, I served as a guest speaker at a 3-day retreat hosted by a church in another city. In between, our church hosted a booth at the city’s Fall Festival on Halloween, and we ministered to our community. The Lord has been busy, and I have enjoyed each moment. But I am now thankful for a moment to pause, reflect, and catch my breath!

Isn’t it interesting that the Psalmist doesn’t specify when or how he will praise the LORD? He doesn’t say, for example, “When life is less busy, I will praise the LORD.” He doesn’t add a caveat that he will praise the Lord if it is convenient, if he is well-rested, or if all his circumstances are lovely. No, he states he will praise the LORD as long as he has any being. He follows up this assertion with the desire for his meditation to be pleasing to the LORD and his intention to rejoice in the LORD.

As I meditate on this verse, I am thankful for opportunities to rejoice in the LORD, no matter my circumstances. When I am busy and feel overwhelmed, I can sing His praises. I can meditate on His Word when people disappoint me or fail to follow through on their committed tasks. When my environment is hard or painful, I can choose to rejoice in the LORD. This choice is the overarching theme of the new Bible Study Choose To Live on Philippians Way. As we move through the study, we focus on Philippians 4:4-9 and explore the benefits of choosing to praise the Lord in any circumstance and how meditation on His Word provides strength, encouragement, and comfort we urgently need each day.

Over the next few weeks, we will share excerpts from each chapter of Choose To Live on Philippians Way and consider the importance of our choice to magnify God in all situations. But for today, let’s sit with this verse a bit longer. Let’s pause and consider ways we can live out the decision to “sing praise to the LORD as long as I live; sing praise to my God while I have any being. Choose meditation that is sweet to Him and to rejoice in the Lord”(paraphrase of Psalm 104:33-34).

Serving alongside you,

Carla