Psalm 34:1-3 GNT I will always thank the Lord; I will never stop praising him. I will praise him for what he has done; may all who are oppressed listen and be glad! Proclaim with me the Lord’s greatness; let us praise his name together!
Always and never – as a biologist, those two words jump out at me immediately in reading those verses from Psalm chapter 34. My mind is drawn to these words because I’ve been trained to always base opinions on the data which never gives absolutes (i.e. zero standard deviations) about what I’m evaluating in the field, the greenhouse, or the lab.
Always and never– as a Christian, those two words immediately start bringing hope to me as I’m reading those verses from Psalm chapter 34. My soul is drawn to these words because I’m learning to always put my faith in my Good God Who will never change, leave, forsake, or let me go, no matter where I am or where I’ve been (see Hebrews 13:5-8).
Always and never – as a former church choir member, those two words immediately bring back memories of asking the following questions to my church’s music minister years ago – “How in the world can I sing lyrics of I will always thank the Lord or I will never stop praising Him when I know full well the depravity and duplicity of my own heart? Am I not lying to God, myself, and all who hear me singing those words?”
His answer stopped me nearly twenty years ago and stops me now in its beautiful truth and simplicity like an elegant geometry theorem – “Beth, we sing those words to help our hearts and lives do what we should be doing – always thanking God and never stopping in praising Him.”
As an especially stubborn soil scientist, I know I’ll never be 100% obedient or always praising my Good God because my heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9 KJ21). Yet as one who wants to follow Christ in all ways, I pray daily “please Lord, let me never stop proclaiming that You always love every single person and have a good plan for a future filled with hope (see John 3:16 and Jeremiah 29:11 CEB).”
I think David might’ve felt the same when he wrote down those words in Psalm 34. His words were a song of praise to his God in recognition of all the many ways God provided, protected, and gave him peace. David was far from perfect, yet God called him a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14 ESV). And that statement gives this stubborn soil scientist a whole lot of hope!
In light of Jesus Christ, our own hope of glory, I encourage you to take some time now and again later today to read and re-read Psalm 34:1-3 (Colossians 1:27 ESV). Let the truth from those verses sink into the soil of your soul and renew your mind (see Romans 12:1-2). And let that truth help you to always look for ways to thank God in, with, and for your days and to never stop praising Him with your words and with your works.
On that note, here’s a couple more verses which are helpful reminders to me to strive in always being thankful to God and never stopping in my praise to Him:
Colossians 3:17 ESV And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Psalm 150:6 AMPC Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
written by and copyrighted to Beth Madison, Ph.D., 2026.
Soul Scientist 
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