I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
² My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
³ Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!

⁴ I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
⁶ This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.

1) Verse 1 says “continually” in reference to praise. How can this be true?
Jesus teaches in Luke 6:45 that the mouth speaks what is in the heart. Immediately following in verse 2, the psalmist references his soul (ie: his inmost being, his emotions, his will, his passion, his core). Later in the psalm, the writer speaks plainly about his suffering and his cries for help, so it’s clear that he doesn’t view praise as a means to cover up real-life pain. Instead, he recognizes that a heart focused on knowing God will overflow with praise, even when faced with fear.

2) How are “boast” and “magnify” related to each other?
A cross-reference for “boast” leads us to Jeremiah 9:24, a passage where God speaks about the foolishness of boasting or relying on our own strength to save us in the face of danger. He admonishes us to boast only in knowing Him and His good character. How interesting! Paul picks up this idea in 1 Corinthians 2:2 where he leans in even deeper by saying that he wants to know “nothing but Christ and Him crucified.” To “magnify” is to amplify or zoom in on an object. When we “magnify the Lord together” we are zooming in on the characteristics of God that we’ve been learning about in our hearts as we “boast” in Him.

3) Does a “radiant” countenance mean that I’m smiling and laughing when I’m afraid and surrounded by pain and suffering?
“Radiance” here has a cross-reference to Isaiah 60, where radiance refers to the glory of the Lord shining over us. Verse 1 calls us to “arise” and “shine, for your light has come”. The light (radiance) is foretelling of Christ, the Light of the world and the believer’s source of light when they’ve surrendered their hearts to Him. The radiance referenced by the psalmist, therefore, is not something we manufacture on our own; it’s not a happy face or a “3-cheers-for-suffering” because God expects a good attitude. The radiance is Christ alone. His glory, His purpose, His love working in and through us; it’s His peace! This verse is even quoted later by Paul in Ephesians 5:14 as he describes all we have in Jesus.

4) What is the key to being “delivered from all my fears”?
In verse 4, the psalmist records that he “sought the Lord”. In verse 5, he says that he “looked to Him”. In verse 6, he writes of his own destitution as he “cried out” to the Lord. The result was the Lord’s deliverance from the author’s fears. Being set free from fear involves honesty before the Throne of God, combined with the humility to cry out to Him and the boldness to ask for His help.

1) Verse 1 says “continually” in reference to praise. How can this be true?
When we intentionally focus on intimately knowing God in our inner soul, praise and adoration automatically overflow in what we say. It’s not that every word out of our mouth is praise, rather that our hearts are brimming with adoration so intensely that when the occasion occurs, either positive or negative in life, our heart takes over our words and we choose worship for our God rather than hate or turning away from Him.

2) How are “magnify” and “boast” related to each other?
Sharing what God has done in our hearts by praising Him is like using a megaphone so all can clearly hear and see how precious our Savior is. As we dig in to who God is, whether in good times or bad, our hearts change, our countenance changes, and people notice. When others see how God is upholding us, giving us His peace, and delivering us from fear, it’s boasting and magnifying brought together to encourage and advance God’s kingdom! Adoration is kingdom work, Sisters!

3) Does a “radiant” countenance mean that I’m smiling and laughing when I’m afraid and surrounded by pain and suffering?
Definitely not! God desires for our hearts to be honest before Him, but in the midst of fear and suffering, if we don’t have the foundation of deeply knowing God’s character, it’s easy to allow fear’s grip to tighten on us. Whether you are walking through trials now or enjoying peaceful times, choose to hone in on who He is. Know Him well and continue building a foundation that will allow for sincere adoration when the storms hit your sails.

4) What is the key to being “delivered from all my fears”?
When we are afraid, the temptation is to turn inward, focus on ourselves, and try to manage our “freak-out-feelings”, but God teaches us to handle our fears differently. Knowing Him deeply means that we have an alternative when we are faced with fear. We have a way of escape. How will you choose to know Him better right now? Consider reading the Psalms with new eyes and find the heart of God in the middle of the psalmist’s brutal honesty as they pour out their fears coupled with their adoration!

Don’t miss today’s other Journey Study, In The Face Of Fear
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We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Adoring!