Seven Times a Day

I praise You seven times a day for your righteous judgments.”
    – Psalm 119:164

What do I do seven times a day? I’ve really been thinking about this question lately. Some days I eat six times a day. You know, like a hobbit! There’s breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and, of course, the mandatory sweet snack after successfully putting a child to bed!

I don’t mean to be impolite, but I probably use the restroom seven times a day. I’m not sure; I haven’t ever counted before.

I wash dishes once a day. If a dish is missed, I leave it for the next day! And, as much as I love my husband, I’m not even sure that I tell him “I love you” seven times a day.

On a typical day, I’m awake from 5:45-9:45. That’s 16 hours. 16 divided by 7 is 2.28 (*shout out to my calculator*) So if I were to act like the Psalmist, that means I would praise the Lord for His righteous judgment every 2.28 hours that I am awake.

That sounds impossible to me. How sad is that! Because I really and truly do love the Lord and want to praise Him.

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible so let’s just look at the context within its section (verses 161-168).

Here’s the verse-by-verse list of highlights:

• People in authority have pursued him unjustly but his heart fears the Word of the Lord and not man. (verse 161)
• He views God’s promises like vast treasure. (verse 162)
• He hates lies and loves the instructions of God. (verse 163)
• He praises the Lord 7 times a day for His righteous judgments. (verse 164)
• People who love God’s instructions have abundant peace. (verse 165)
• He carries out the Lord’s commands for salvation. (verse 166)
• He not only obeys the Lord’s decrees but also loves them greatly. (verse 167)
• He obeys the Lord’s precepts and decrees and understands that the Lord sees everything He does. (verse 168)

With a list like that, it’s no wonder the Psalmist praises the Lord seven times a day! I think the lack of praise in my life is a result of a lack of true understanding of what the Lord has done for me. The Psalmist has clearly faced some extremely difficult times (verse 161) and has learned to rely on the Lord on a deeper level than people like me who have spent their lives in relative comfort and ease.

What are some things you do seven times a day? Let’s all add praising the Lord for what He’s done in our lives to the list. Keep a list on your bathroom mirror to praise Him for every time you see it. Put a reminder on your phone to pop up. Pray at every meal and thank Him for His presence. Let His praise be a constant part of your conversations with the people around you.