Usually when we talk about blessings, we are talking about the roof over our heads, the food on our tables, the clothes that keep us warm, etc. All of these are needs that God supplies, and it truly is a blessing to know that He cares for us and provides for our needs.
But we have been studying Psalm 34; this psalm details how our trials can channel us into a life of God's blessings. We've seen that David is teaching us and also giving his testimony in this song - he wants us to seek God for salvation and to fear Him. He tells us that if we do, we will walk in God's ways. And that will result in a blessed life.
Let's get back to our study!
I think that many of us would agree we are "turned off" when a person starts boasting. Patting themselves on the back about their accomplishments, showing an arrogant attitude, showing that they think they are better than all of us . . . but we do see that it's ok to boast about one thing.
Look at David boasting:
I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice. (Psalm 34:2)
Let's be quite honest here. David had plenty to boast about, if he "had a mind to" as my grandma would say. The man has been anointed king of a nation, he has an army of loyal men, he has several beautiful wives at this point. He's looking back at a period in his life where he was on the run, but by now he is probably seated in a comfortable home (maybe he even wrote this after he was living in the palace), the surrounding nations respect him, and he has been rescued by the Almighty more than once.
I don't see those things mentioned here, do you? Nope. David is not boasting in himself. He is boasting in the Lord - to put it simply, he realizes that he has been the object of God's favor and mercy. He knows he has not deserved it, but God has shown compassion for him and moved in his life.
Paul echoes this in his letter to the Corinthians:
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 1:26-31)
And here is the original that Paul was referring to:
This is what the Lord says:
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
As believers, we recognize that we are recipients of God's grace and mercy, too, and so we can rejoice with David as he sings of God's deliverance. Not boasting in ourselves, but giving glory to God, is a sure sign of our humility. We know there are many verses that speak of an humble spirit. David refers to this in the eighteenth verse: "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise. (Psalm 51:17b)
And He will not leave us in a place of brokenness. When we truly repent, and our heart is breaking over our sins, He will have mercy:
For this is what the high and exalted One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15)
Have we come to a place in our society, in these times, that we are unable to admit that we are sinful? Have we lost the capacity to be brokenhearted over our sin? Are we no longer able to have contrite hearts? Jesus told us in Matthew that the "poor in spirit," those who are broken and repentant, will receive blessings and comfort:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted." (Matthew 5:3-4)
Until we realize that we are sinful, and until we realize that we are broken beyond our own ability to "fix" -- we will not cry out to God for our salvation. As long as we think our own goodness or our works will get our lives put together, then we won't see ourselves as needing God to save us. The Holy Spirit can open our eyes to sin in our lives and we can eagerly seek the salvation that God offers us.
David may have been hiding at one point in a cave. He may have been hiding from Saul and from the Philistines. In his heart, David was hiding in God as his refuge:
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. (Psalm 34:8)
He will not leave us broken. He will not leave us alone.
He will be with us. He will be our refuge.
He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. (Psalm 91:4)
Have we come to the place where we are broken by our sin? Have we cried out to God to save us? He will surely hear. He will save us.
Life?
Yes. More abundant than we can imagine.
A blessed life.
;kj;lkj;lkjo enjoy God and His blessings, seek Him for salvation, fear Him, and walk in His ways
he was hiding in God as his refuge (34:8). Are you? Have you come to the place of feeling broken and crushed by your sin, so that you have cried out to God to save you through Jesus and His shed blood?
I love the study.
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