Dear Ones,
Yesterday, as I prepared for this week’s sermon and was about to initiate a final proof-read, something beautiful happened. The Lord very gently placed it in my heart not to use that message for today. I was a little bewildered because of the amount of time I had already invested in it and how good I felt during its preparation. Not to mention, I had very little time to prepare something else. But I put that all to the side. All I could do was to obey, ask for direction and wait for instruction. Soon, I began to think about the things my brothers and sisters in Christ are going through at this present hour. As I began to feel compassion and empathy for the amount of suffering God’s people are enduring, the Lord again very gently placed Psalm 34 in my spirit. Now I don’t know exactly who this is for but all I know is the Lord is attempting to comfort His people through His Word. Even if everything is going great for you today, we never know what tomorrow will bring if it comes. There is encouragement, wisdom, strength and healing in these scriptures. As you read them, rejoice. And remember these words from the prophet Isaiah: “So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55: 11-12)
Verse by verse, let us explore and enjoy PSALM 34
[1] I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Let us praise before provision, let us praise before comfort and let us praise before healing. Indeed let us praise before anything. Psalm 150: 6 tells us that everything should praise the Lord. And there is only one condition required to praise God and that is whether you were created or not. So whatever you are and whoever you are, if you are a part of creation you are obligated to praise the Creator. And since we know that all things were created by God, no matter what happens or what we are subjected to, the Lord always deserves to be exalted. Particularly by us whom He has justified, sanctified and glorified because He foreknew, predestined and called us into His heavenly family.
[2] My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
Ain’t nothing like talkin’ ‘bout Jesus. We get excited just hearing that glorious and wonderful Name. At that Name devils tremble and demons flee. At that Name the lame can walk, the mute can talk and the blind can see. At that Name every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. And when we speak that Name in the atmosphere, the hearts of those who are inclined toward Him leap for joy just like the baby John the Baptist did in Elisabeth’s womb when Jesus arrived on the scene with Mary. (John 1: 41)
[3] O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.
As the song says …..
GLORIFY HIS NAME
Come on and GLORIFY HIS NAME
I love to GLORIFY HIS NAME
He’s worthy GLORIFY HIS NAME
Oh let us GLORIFY THE NAME OF JESUS
LET US GLORIFY HIS NAME!
If you feel like it, keep on singing!
[4] I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
God hears your pleas and knows exactly what’s going on in your life. He will be with you through every single trial, temptation, testing or trauma. So hold on with all of your might and He will give you indescribable peace even in the midst of the storms of your life.
[5] They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
We look to no one else but the author and finisher of our faith. And as Peter said after other disciples had deserted Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You’re the only One Who has the words of eternal life.” (John 6: 68) We are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because we don’t want Him to be ashamed of us when He comes back in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels. (Luke 9: 26)
[6] This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
Have a little talk with Jesus
Tell Him all about your troubles
He will hear your faintest cry
He will answer by and by
When you feel a little prayer wheel turning
Then you’ll know a little fire is burning
Have a little talk with Jesus makes it right
If you recognize it, sing it again! This time with some uuuummmppphhh!!!
[7] The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.
When the Lord is your protection, you can rest assured that He has you completely covered and you are safe from all harm. Even when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death you will fear no evil because God is with you. That’s because His rod and His staff comforts you. And while He is leading you in the paths of righteousness, take a look behind you and you will see that goodness and mercy are following you all the days of your life.
[8] O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.
"The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works. (Psalm 145: 9) Moses said the Lord was merciful, gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth. (Exodus 34: 6) In fact, it’s His goodness that leads us to repentance. (Romans 2: 4) Truly blessed is the person who realizes, is grateful for and takes full advantage of God’s goodness.
[9] O fear the LORD, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him.
We are perfect and complete in Him and we lack absolutely nothing. He is our peace, our strength, our hope, our love and our joy. What else could we ask for?
[10] The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
The grass on the other side isn’t always greener but the dogs are always meaner. Don’t be fooled by the illusion. No matter how profitable it may seem or how much fun is being had by those who don’t serve the Lord, pay no attention because we reap what we sow and God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.
[11] Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
We know that the whole duty of man is to fear God and obey His commandments. (Ecclesiastes 12: 13) Therefore we must willingly dedicate ourselves to fully obeying, serving, surrendering and humbling ourselves before God. Jesus very simply explained these minimum requirements when He said “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.” (Mark 12:30)
[12] What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
[13] Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Verses 12 and 13 tells us that the focus is not on loving life, but loving God Who is the supplier of life. Therefore if you love God, He will give you the good life and you won’t speak evil, you won’t gossip, you won’t lie, you won’t trash talk, you won’t defame and you won’t ridicule. Just remember, the tongue can only speak what comes from the heart. So watch your mouth by keeping your hearts pure because the tongue is “…an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3: 8)
[14] Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
With all that is within you, seek to live in peace with everyone. I know it may be difficult sometimes but with God all things are possible. Where ever peace goes, follow. Just make the effort to keep your attention on Jesus even when you are interacting with other human beings. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.” (Isaiah 26: 3)
[15] The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry.
You can’t make it any plainer than this. God is watching and He is listening. Period.
[16] The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
[17] The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Classic consequences of what we choose to be (righteous or evil) and who we choose to serve (God or Satan). You cannot serve two masters. You cannot be lukewarm. You cannot be halt (disabled) between two opinions. You can’t compromise and you can’t close your eyes. Choose God and be blessed.
[18] The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
This is what it all comes down to … the saving of the soul. What good is our life, our money, our possessions, our health, our family, our education, our status or our influence if in the end we are lost? “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16: 26)
[19] Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
I know that many of you are suffering under some tremendous burdens. Burdens of pain in your bodies from health infirmities, emotional stress due to relationship and family troubles, psychological torment from mental disorders or mental misery brought on by financial woes. As challenging or grueling as your circumstances or conditions may be, I want you to remember what this entire Psalm is telling you. And that is God loves you with an everlasting love. He sees you and hears you and will act on your behalf because you are His. He not only understands your pain but grieves with you and has your best interests at the core of His intentions. He feels the tears you cry, and willingly died to alleviate your weeping and save your soul.
So whatever God has allowed in your life, you can be sure that even though it may distress you at this present time, have no doubt that there is a plan for your salvation that is in effect. And it’s working.
You may feel depressed, discarded, distressed, perplexed, persecuted and cast down. But it’s not how you feel, it’s who you are. YOU are not distressed. YOU are not in despair. YOU are not forsaken. YOU are not destroyed.
YOU are a champion and YOU are more than a conqueror and, most of all, YOU are a child of the Most High God. And this same God has given YOU a divine treasure within your earthly body that recognizes this unimaginable power that comes from and is completely credited to God and not to us.
And one day, glory to God, because of this incredibly marvelous power inside of you, you will be swept up in an event that all of creation has been awaiting. An event that will make you say “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8: 18)
And though it has taken thousands of years to come it will happen in a flash. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15: 52) “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
(1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18)
Beloved ones, be ready and be encouraged in Jesus’ name “…for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4: 12)
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