I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.(Psa 34:4-7 ESV)
“I sought the Lord.” “Those who look to Him.” “This poor man cried.” Do you catch a pattern here? What gives God glory? I think that question should be our primary concern in life. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” I’m sure most of you have heard John Piper’s statement concerning God’s glory. I think this is what David is talking about here. David doesn’t sit back on his heels and wait for the Lord to work. I don’t want to be mistaken, David has to wait on the Lord, but it’s a proactive kind of waiting.
It’s like the kid in last year’s 6th grade band who really wanted to play #92, Trombone Rag. By this time, we would inevitably be on #200 something, but a favorite song is a favorite song. Teaching wise, it’s a good song. The trombones get to gliss finally, the trumpets have to learn some measure of syncopation and dynamics. Little Brendon would get it in his head occasionally that he wanted to play the song, so every five minutes or so, he would ask if we could play #92. I would string him out of course, because as long as he was focused on the expectation of playing #92, he was focused on something, and let’s be honest, a focused 6th grader is a blessing. Of course, both of us knew that I would give in in the end, but he was persistent in seeking.
Are we that way with God? Not pestering, but persistent in asking. Asking knowing that God will give us our answer. Look how David was answered. He sought the Lord and was delivered. He looked to Him and was no longer ashamed. Boy, I could camp here for a long time. So let me camp here for a short time!
The enemy tells us that if we look at God we’ll realize how far off the mark we are, and we will be ashamed. So what is our response? I don’t know about you, but out of shame, I start avoiding God. Of course, this results in more shame, so I avoid more. Then I’m ashamed that I’m avoiding God, so I’m even more ashamed. See where this is going? There’s a whole snowball effect that happens. Then we end up sitting there wondering why we are so far from God.
The truth of looking to God is so much better. If we look to the Lord, not only do we see where we lack, but we see the mercy and grace of Christ making up that lack and more. What an amazing Grace! No wonder that David says that those who look to Him are radiant! We always know it too. If you’re anything like me, when you finally come to the cross, God is faithful to renew a right Spirit within you and He heals once again.
Something that’s been convicting me for some time is the concept of God sized prayers. Do we put God in a box? How big do we think our God is? Are there things that we’ve decided aren’t happening, so we don’t pray for? What do our prayers say about what we think about God? As I look through the Word, I see a God who loves to take huge prayers and bless the socks off the people crying out. (Random note, don’t you love the phrase, “Bless the socks off?” Pastor Mark used it all the time, and slowly yet surely it caught on.) I think God loves to bless the socks off of things. Why? Because it brings Him glory!
What can we take from verse 7. I certainly see application in the area of spiritual warfare, but I think there’s something else that we can take from this. This statement continues the same thought that David has been on for the last three verses. He’s talking about a close proximity to the Lord. David shows us that if we’re close to the Lord, He is faithful. What a joy to serve a faithful God. We certainly aren’t by nature a faithful people. We’re too easily distracted. We all have spiritual ADD. We can be going along fine, and then something distracts us.
The distraction isn’t always something bad, matter of fact, usually it’s something good. However when something good becomes the thing, it becomes an idol. Whoa! I just pulled out the “i” word. We are after all an enlightened society. You certainly don’t see anyone bowing down before a little wooden statue asking for rain or something like that, do we? How many people “bow down” to stuff, asking it to make them happy? How many of us “bow down” to our deeds, holding them up to show how we don’t need God today? How many of us put other things before a holy God? Every single one of us, every single day.
God tells us, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” I don’t think He says that for His sake. I think He tells us that for our sakes. He’s saying to us, “Hey, there’s one thing in this whole world that truly satisfies… Me.” The more we draw close to Him, the more He shows us the areas in our lives that we are letting get ahead of Him. May we be a seeking people, a looking people, a crying people, for the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them.
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