Monday, 13 February 2017

Psalm 34:11-22 – God’s invitation to a blessed life

In the earlier verses, David was certain that the way to experience triumph over one’s circumstances was not to focus unduly on them. He asserted that to experience constant victory one needs to single-mindedness look to God, regardless of the circumstance one encounters. So in verses 11-22 he instructs all believers, whom he addressed as the righteous, to fear the Lord. Here he shows them and us how to experience the blessings installed for people who are rightly related to God.

It is the Lord’s desire to bless the righteous with long life filled with His goodness. How to experience that? Verses 12-14 prescribe three positive actions to ensure that we experience that. Peter in his letter to the early church also affirmed these three positive actions. Simply put, we need to speak right, do right and live right. We must seek to be careful in our words, our deeds and our conduct.

In verse 15, David assures us that the Lord, like a shepherd, would watch over us His sheep. His ears are ever inclined towards our cries. But on the other hand, His face would be turned against evildoers. There will be no trouble that can assail His people for long. For the Lord is ever ready to deliver us out of them all. He doesn’t just select some to deliver us, and some He will not. The Psalmist assures us that He will deliver us from them all. Going back to the call he made earlier, let us remember to magnify, to taste and to fear he Lord.

What’s wonderful is that the Lord is near, to lift up the discouraged who are broken in heart. He is especially tender to those who are contrite in spirit. And He is open to His repentant people who grieve over their sin. He is ever ready to deliver the godly out of their afflictions and completely deliver them from each one of them. Going back to the invitation David made earlier in verses 3, 8, and 9-10, let us remember to magnify the Lord, to taste of His goodness and to fear Him at all times. For God is our good, good Father!    

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