AT ALL TIMES
September Theme: STEADFASTNESS
Theme Scripture — 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
Main Scripture — Psalm 34:1 (KJV)
“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
INTRODUCTION — WHAT DOES “ALL TIMES” REALLY MEAN?
It is easy to say:
“I WILL BLESS THE LORD!”
But David added three words that make this statement much more challenging:
“AT ALL TIMES.”
Because all times include more than good times.
“All times” includes:
Good times and bad times.
Happy times and sad times.
Plenty and lack.
Victory and disappointment.
Sunshine and storms.
Open doors and closed doors.
Answered prayers and waiting seasons.
Mountaintops and valleys.
David did not say:
“I will bless the Lord when I feel like it.”
He did not say:
“I will bless the Lord when everything goes my way.”
He said:
“I will bless the LORD at all times.”
Notice the first two words:
“I WILL.”
That means David made a decision.
Praise was not merely an emotion.
Praise was an act of his will.
David was saying:
“Before I know what tomorrow will bring, I've already decided what I'm going to do tomorrow.”
“I WILL BLESS THE LORD!”
THE BACKGROUND MAKES THE VERSE EVEN MORE POWERFUL
Psalm 34 was not written from a comfortable palace.
The heading connects this Psalm with David's experience when he changed his behavior before Abimelech and was driven away.
The event is recorded in 1 Samuel 21.
David was running from Saul.
He went to Gath and became afraid.
Why did David ask like a madman before the king
David acted like a madman before Achish, king of Gath, because he was afraid the king would recognize him as Israel’s famous warrior and kill him.
What happened?
After fleeing from King Saul, David went to Gath seeking safety. But the king’s servants recognized him and said:
“Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?”
— 1 Samuel 21:11
David realized that he was in serious danger. Gath was a Philistine city—and the hometown of Goliath, whom David had killed. David was even carrying Goliath’s sword.
Why did David pretend to be insane?
David “changed his behaviour” and pretended to be mentally disturbed. He scratched on the doors of the gate and allowed saliva to run down his beard. Achish believed the act and dismissed him:
“Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?”
— 1 Samuel 21:14
By pretending to be insane, David made himself appear harmless rather than a dangerous military threat. Achish then allowed him to leave.
The spiritual lesson
David’s actions were a desperate survival strategy, but the Bible makes it clear that God was the One who ultimately delivered him. Psalm 34 was written in connection with this event:
“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
— Psalm 34:4
David used wisdom to escape, but he gave God the credit. The lesson is: fear may cause us to take unusual steps, but our ultimate confidence must remain in the Lord.
1 Samuel 21:12
“And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.”
David was afraid.
David was displaced.
David was running.
David's future was uncertain.
Yet out of that experience comes:
“I will bless the LORD at all times…”
In other words:
DAVID DIDN'T WAIT FOR HIS SITUATION TO BECOME PERFECT BEFORE HE PRAISED GOD.
That is steadfastness.
1 Corinthians 15:58 says:
“Be ye stedfast, unmoveable…”
Psalm 34:1 says:
“I will bless the LORD at all times…”
Put them together and you get:
“WHATEVER TIME I'M IN, I'M NOT MOVING FROM MY PRAISE!”
1. PRAISE GOD IN THE GOOD TIMES
Psalm 100:4
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
Sometimes we are better at praying when things are bad than praising when things are good.
Trouble brings us to our knees.
But when God answers, we must not forget the One who answered.
BIBLE EXAMPLE — THE TEN LEPERS
In Luke 17:11–19, ten lepers cried out to Jesus.
All ten were cleansed.
But only one returned.
Luke 17:15–16
“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks…”
Jesus asked:
“Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?”
Don't become so excited about:
THE BLESSING
that you forget:
THE BLESSER.
Short Illustration
A child may spend weeks asking a parent for a particular gift.
When the child finally receives it, imagine taking the gift and running away without saying thank you.
Sometimes God has to wonder:
“You remembered Me when you needed it. Do you remember Me now that you have it?”
When God opens the door—
PRAISE HIM.
When the prayer is answered—
PRAISE HIM.
When the report is good—
PRAISE HIM.
Bless Him in:
THE GOOD TIMES.
2. PRAISE GOD IN THE BAD TIMES
This is where Psalm 34:1 becomes challenging.
David said:
“at ALL times.”
That includes bad times.
BIBLE EXAMPLE — JOB
Job lost his possessions.
He lost his servants.
He lost his children.
Yet Job 1:20 says:
“Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped.”
Notice:
Job grieved.
But Job also worshipped.
Steadfastness does not mean:
I DON'T HURT.
It means:
MY HURT DOESN'T MAKE ME TURN AWAY FROM GOD.
Job said:
Job 1:21
“The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
Job teaches us:
YOU CAN HAVE TEARS IN YOUR EYES AND STILL HAVE PRAISE IN YOUR MOUTH.
Illustration — The Umbrella
You don't throw away your umbrella because it starts raining.
THAT'S WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST.
Don't throw away your praise because trouble comes.
That's when you need to draw closer to God.
3. PRAISE GOD WHILE YOU ARE WAITING
One of the hardest “times” is:
WAITING TIME.
You prayed.
Nothing happened.
You believed.
Nothing changed.
You asked.
No answer yet.
Psalm 27:14
“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart…”
BIBLE EXAMPLE — HANNAH
In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah desired a child.
Year after year she lived with disappointment.
Peninnah provoked her.
She wept.
She couldn't eat.
But Hannah kept going to the house of God.
She kept praying.
Eventually God answered.
1 Samuel 1:20
“Hannah conceived, and bare a son, and called his name Samuel…”
Hannah teaches us:
DELAY DOES NOT MEAN DENIAL.
While you're waiting—
keep praying.
Keep worshipping.
Keep serving.
Keep believing.
Keep blessing the Lord.
Illustration — The Waiting Room
When you go to the doctor's office, they sometimes put you in a room called:
THE WAITING ROOM.
You haven't seen the doctor yet.
You haven't received the answer yet.
But you don't leave just because you're waiting.
Why?
Because you know:
YOUR NAME WILL EVENTUALLY BE CALLED.
Somebody may be in God's waiting room.
DON'T LEAVE!
Your name hasn't been called yet.
But remain steadfast.
4. PRAISE GOD IN THE MIDNIGHT TIMES
Acts 16:25
“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
Paul and Silas had been beaten.
Their backs were hurting.
Their feet were locked in stocks.
They were in the inner prison.
And it was:
MIDNIGHT.
Yet they praised.
They didn't wait for morning.
They praised God:
IN THE DARK.
That's steadfast praise.
Anybody can praise God when the sun is shining.
But can you praise Him at midnight?
Midnight represents those seasons when:
You can't see your way.
You don't know what's next.
Everything feels dark.
But notice what happened.
Acts 16:26
“And suddenly there was a great earthquake…”
They praised God before the doors opened.
Then:
GOD OPENED THE DOORS.
Illustration
You don't need sunlight to know morning is coming.
Even at midnight, the clock is moving toward morning.
MIDNIGHT IS NOT FOREVER.
Psalm 30:5 says:
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
