Psalms 34
Scripture
Vs 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
Vs 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
vs 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
Vs 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
vs 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
Vs 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
vs 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Observation
Here I observe yet another beautiful paradox of the Faith …
Perhaps the best one …
“Fear the Lord … and He will deliver me from all my fears!”
How can this be? … I have a “Fear” that delivers me from “all my fears”?
Well, when David “fears the Lord”,
He “magnifies the Lord” and “exalts His name”.
And when David does this and sees the majesty and enormity of who God is …
Anything and everything else he may fear becomes so insignificant as to become nothing by comparison …
The result of “fearing the Lord” is …
“salvation from all troubles” …
“having no lack” …
“salvation from a crushed spirit”!
Application
I will fear something …
Will it be “the Lord” … or “my circumstances”?
Will I fear “troubles”, or not having “enough”, or just being “crushed” and “brokenhearted”?
Fear of anything but the Lord will do awful things to me.
First, I will focus only on me.
If I am fearing my situation and circumstances, it will be impossible for me to love my neighbor!
Fear for myself will put me in a position to “protect” and “keep” and “guard” myself and “mine”.
How can I pour myself out if I am barricading myself in?!
I must understand I cannot protect myself!
So what must I do? … “Take refuge in Him” …”seek the Lord” … “cry to the Lord”.
I will see that He is “near the brokenhearted”.
I will “taste and see that He is good!”
Then I cannot help but to “magnify the Lord” and “exalt His name”!
Prayer
God, thank You …
Help me Spirit to Fear You more than my circumstances
Help me see how small my troubles are
Compared to how magnificent you are!
When my troubles seem overwhelming.
Help me to taste your goodness!
In Jesus name,
Amen