Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 34:1-7
Ps 34:1-7
I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
King David was fleeing from King Saul who was trying to kill him. He went down to the country of the Philistines to hide and there he pretended to be crazy because King Abimelech wanted to kill him. It was then that he wrote this Psalms to praise the Lord for taking care of him. God was protecting him while he was running from those who sought his life and while he was living in caves and in the wild.
We might think that God had deserted us, but not David. He knew that the protection of God did not always mean an easy life. He knew the protection of God often required that he be miserable for a while or that he would have to run from dangers. He understood that God does not always take away our problems, but he will always take us through them. In this way our faith is made stronger and at the same time, Christ is glorified. O, the unsearchable wisdom of God!
When we call on the Lord, he will deliver us. When we put our trust in Jesus, we can know that he will always be with us, he is near. It does not say he could be near when we need him or even that he will be near. He is near. He is always near to those who love him and trust him. He never leaves us. He will never forsake us. If we do not see him or we do not feel his presence, the problem is us, not him. When he is not holding our hand, it is because we turned loose.
O Lord God, give me faith and strength to see Jesus with me every day and to hold on to his hand, no matter what I face. Give me your joy and your peace. Use me to lift up someone else who is hurting and struggling. You have filled my life with so many good things, so help me focus on each of them instead of things that seem bad. Thank you for the many friends and family who love me so dearly and who have shown their love to me. Forgive me when I doubt, because I do doubt at times and I do get overly anxious. I humbly pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
