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Articles
Magnify the Lord with Me
“O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” Psalm 34:3
God is bigger than our wildest imaginations. To magnify something means you make it appear larger than it is. So how do you magnify God when He is already larger than our understanding? Our problem is we too often attempt the opposite - we try to reduce God. We minimize what we think He knows, what we think He can do, and what we think He cares about. On the other hand, we magnify ourselves and our problems all the time! What we need to do is magnify God by enlarging the role He plays in our lives.
You need to magnify God always. David penned Psalm 34 while on the run for his life, yet he remained committed to praising the Lord (Psalm 34:1). David did the right thing in focusing on God instead of focusing on his problems. David knew as well as any of us that life is full of affliction, but he also knew the Lord was the One who would deliver him (Psalm 34:19). The righteous are never disappointed by God. He hears you even in your lowest moments (Psalm 34:4-7). By magnifying God in your life, it reduces the size and scope of your afflictions.
We need to magnify God together. As David invites his audience to join him in praise, we too need to seek to worship God with one another (Psalm 34:3). Knowing there are others who love God and value the fellowship we are a part of is special. It is easy to live in isolation nowadays, but collective worship offers a unique connection we all need. By “exalt(ing) His name together” (v. 3) we increase our magnification of Him.
You need to magnify God with righteousness (Psalm 34:8-22). If you truly want to enlarge God’s presence in your life and see Him more clearly, you do that by living righteously. David teaches us how to live righteously in Psalm 34.
Trust in God, especially in times of uncertainty (v. 8).
Fear God with a healthy respect for His power (v. 9).
Watch your mouth and be sure your speech reflects godly living (v. 13).
Seek peace with God and (as much as possible) with others (v. 14).
Cry out to the Lord in times of affliction with full trust in His deliverance in His time (v. 15-17).
Serve God with a heart full of devotion (v. 22).
David also shares some of the blessings of righteousness in Psalm 34. Truly “the Lord is good” and David shows us why.
The righteous enjoy God’s providence (v. 9-10). Yes, life has its trouble, but God provides for all our needs (Philippians 4:19).
The righteous enjoy God’s attention (v. 15-16). God hears the prayer of a righteous man (James 5:16).
The righteous enjoy God’s deliverance (v. 17-19). He does not tell us how or when - that’s why righteousness requires trust - but the Lord promises deliverance for the righteous.
The righteous enjoy God’s redemption (v. 20-22).
When you see the full magnificence of God one day in heaven, if you have any regrets, you will only regret that you failed to do more to magnify God in your life on earth. God’s magnificence is thrilling. Experiencing His blessings only makes you want to magnify Him more and share His goodness with others. “O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! (Psalm 34:8a)
