Felicity loves company

King David starts Psalm 34 declaring (I dare I say, vowing) to praise the Lord at all times. One senses he is so enraptured with the Lord that he is unaware of anyone else in the room.

"I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth" (verse 1).

But see where his rapture leads him: It now dawns on him that his audible praise will have an effect on people. Not on all people, mind you: The proud will not be moved; they may indeed want nothing to do with him. Someone else might even feel the need to correct his exuberance, chastising his presumption in promising to always praise God in the future.

No, it is "the humble" in particular who will "be glad":

". . . let the humble hear and be glad" (verse 2).

Why will they be glad? Because those who love God best always want company. "What? You too?" exclaims the Christian traveler in a foreign country who runs into another Christian on the road. There is an instant bond.

The psalmist is excited by the thought of this communion. He knows his joy will be increased exponentially in larger company:

"Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!" (verse 3)

Can't you just see David waving his brothers over to him? "Come on! Let's praise together! Let's build three tents and stay on the Mount of Transfiguration! Enter into the joy of your Master!" (cf. Matthew 25:23).

"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD" (Psalm 122:1). These are people who don't want to be loners, as if all that matters is their own salvation. The Apostle John is the same way. He appears eager that we be caught up with him in joy:

". . . that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:2-3).

Amazingly, Jesus feels the same way too. In a striking passage in Hebrews 2, we find him embedded in a throng of believers, arm in arm with the brothers. He says:

"I will tell of your name ato my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise. . . . Behold, I and the children God has given me" (Hebrews 2:11-13).

Felicity loves company.