Hi Everyone,
Sharing from Psalm 34
I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. 2 I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. 3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. 4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. 6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. 7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! 9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. 11 Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord. 12 Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? 13 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! 14 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. 15 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. 16 But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. 17 The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. 19 The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. 20 For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken! 21 Calamity will surely destroy the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. 22 But the Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
David has faced many different challenges and trials in his life and in Psalm 34 he looks back to God and who God is in the midst of his trials. David said in verse 4, I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. What a beautiful image of holding onto that truth in the midst of our fear. It isn’t a fear of the Lord that God freed him from but fear of man and what others might say or do. Who then is more glorious, the people who we give power to define us or God?
God is Glorious so that we don’t need to fear others. Isn’t this such a good reminder for us that we need to keep our eyes on Christ and not on what others may think or say? It is so easy for us to put weight on what people say because of the relationship we have with them and at times we seek their validation for what we are feeling or doing. God however, is the one to be feared not others as he gives us our identity in Christ. I love what David says here in verse 9-10 Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. This is a great promise from God that David needed to remind himself as he is with us and for those who fear the Lord will have all they need. When we hold onto this truth that God is glorious then we can walk with our Identity secured to him and not look for it elsewhere. May we in our trials and in our pain continue to look to Gods holiness, glory, power, love and goodness. Fix your eyes on our King as He is Glorious!
Blessings,
Esther