Psalm 145 kicks off with a powerful statement of intent communicating a staunch resolution:

Psalms 145:1-2
I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.

King David is communicating his choice to do this everyday for the rest of eternity. He was declaring his intent to be consistent and enduring in his praise of God. “Every day…” on a continuous loop or cycle of praise, and without ceasing- “…forever and ever…”

David’s emphasis and stress is not just on extolling God, His king but on the frequency and its permanent nature – every day and forever and ever. This was a serious proclamation of intent on David’s part – a commitment to a perpetual rhythm of praise. He made this choice he made and determined to stick to on a regular and permanent basis.

David resolved to extol God and bless His name everyday, forever and ever. This was going to be daily and nonstop. It’s as if David drew a line in the sand when it came to his resolve. He decided, “This is what I will do: bless the Lord. Everyday. Forever and ever.” It was as if he struck a deal with himself. As far as it related to him, he’d made a choice to extol God and bless his name forever – not just sporadically or when it suited him only. For David, God was far too big for that.

David is very clear and unambiguous about his choice. As far as he’s concerned he was determined to bless the Lord every single day. This was a conscious choice. It was not just a wish or a craving. It was seriously backed by his determination to carry it out every single day, come rain or shine. He was not prepared to leave it to chance or opportunity but was proactive in making it happen. It was an perpetual exercise he made an informed choice about and determined to stick by no matter what.

David did not rely on his feelings to prompt his actions or depend on them to execute his intent. He resolved to perpetually act in faith and the knowledge of God he already had. David had many experiences of God. The knowledge he had of Him was sufficient to take the position he did. He stood by what he had seen and known. He determined to bless God and praise Him every single day of his life, forever and ever.

David’s determination to bless the Lord every day was driven by His knowledge of God – albeit an imperfect one. David openly declares that the greatness of God is unfathomable and His infinite nature. Psalms 145:3

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.

He had imperfect and incomplete knowledge of God. Nonetheless, he acted on this by choosing to bless Him every day. David was inspired to maintain a perpetual rhythm of praise in his life. This inspiration came from the imperfect and finite knowledge he had gained of the infinite God. He simply chose to act on the knowledge he had come into.

The remainder of the psalm 145 is an exhilarating read of David’s attempts to detail and expand on the attributes that make God’s greatness infinite.

David’s choice and resolve not waver in his commitment to a perpetual rhythm of praise was a running theme and anthem of his life. It is repeated over and over again in his songs and particularly powerfully expressed in Psalms 34:1

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

David’s determination “to bless the Lord at all times” and not allow His praise to depart from his mouth is once again loudly and proudly proclaimed. He had witnessed God show up for him in the most incredible of circumstances. He was not going to let that slip from his mind. Psalm 34 is David’s testimony to the faithfulness of God – as very often songs are:

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
Psalm 34:4

“This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.”
Psalm 34:6 (referring to himself of course)

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”
Psalm 34:17

“The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.”
Psalm 34:22

David had evidenced the faithfulness of God firsthand and did not want to forget or overlook it. This faithfulness was worth testifying about in song and committing to a perpetual rhythm of praise in his life. He commemorated and celebrated it in his life with a commitment to a perpetual rhythm of praise.

David’s determination to daily engage in praise and worship was not without its challenges. It was not something he did not struggle with. There were occasions when he had to summon and exhort his own soul to bless the Lord by proactively recalling and reminding himself of God’s goodness.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Psalm 103:2-5

We too need to make quality choices like David, backed with a cast-iron resolve rooted in the knowledge of God – however imperfect.

Because consistency demands a resolve.