Day 9 - Psalm 34
There is a very interesting introduction to this Psalm.
“Psalm 34 of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.”
The account of David pretending to be insane is found in 1 Samuel 21 and is well worth a read. To sum up the story, David escaped the King by pretending to be insane, dribbling down his beard and making marks on the doors of the gates.
He wrote this Psalm to praise God for looking after him. Interestingly this psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse begins with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in order.
David begins by saying that he is determined that the Lords praise will always be on his lips, this seems to be quite true, David wrote approximately 73 of the 150 psalms in the bible. He was the first famous worship leader!
In verse 3 David says the biblical equivalent of “all together now!” As he invites us to exalt God’s name together. Worshipping together is such a precious thing, it is one of the main reasons Churches exist. Being a Christian without going to church is like being a hand detached from a body (see 1 Corinthians 12) a hand needs a body, and a body needs a hand. Being committed to worship within a church body, is essential in the life of the Christian.
David continues in his praise remembering how God saved him from his troubles and sent angels to protect him. (v6 and v7)
Verse 8 is a very well-known verse, “taste and see that the Lord is good” we can experience God’s presence in such a real way, it is as real as tasting and seeing.
As he goes through to the end of the psalm, David makes some amazing statements about those who trust in God.
V8 – Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
V9 – Those who fear him lack nothing
V10 – Those who seek the Lord lack nothing
V15 – The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
V17 – The righteous cry out and the Lord hears and delivers them
V18 – The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those with a crushed spirit.
V19 – The Lord delivers us from our troubles
V20 - God Protects all our bones.
V22 – The Lord will rescue his servants no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
David calls us all to worship God with him, to taste and see that God is good, and to put all our hope and trust in God who will bless and protect us in all these ways.
Think over/meditate on
If you need to, cry out to God, trust in Him again to be your saviour and deliverer as He was to David.
Are you part of a worshipping community that you attend weekly? If not pray and ask God where you should be.
Today, spend time in God’s presence, seek after him until you can taste and see and experience Him.
Ben
Ben Parsons, Lead Pastor - Sutton Central location