YOUR BEST WEAPON OR A SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION?

February 17, 2009

YOUR BEST WEAPON OR A SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION?

Psalm 34

Bobby Rodriguez

Central Truth

The simple truth is that God is good and trustworthy whether you believe it or not.

Taste and see that the Lord is good! How blessed is the one who takes shelter in him! (Psalm 34:8)

Taste and See That the LORD Is Good

^{1

34:1
This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet} Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
    let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

11 Come, O children, listen to me;
    I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
    and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
    to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
    not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Footnotes

[1] 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

As a person who desires to share Christ with a lost world, I'm affected by the simple truth of this verse in one of two distinct ways. Either it provides the broad and enticing truth that God loves us and wants to be our provider, or it is the brick wall that I beat my head against as loved ones and strangers alike continue to wonder why they can't seem to make this life work.

When expressing truth to someone who wants to believe, I absolutely love to see the wheels turning in a person's head as the gospel is being presented. There is always, at first, a bit of friction accompanied by varying degrees of resolve to defend a position of indifference to God's truth. The typical questions like "Why does God let bad things happen to good people?" or "Why does the church always want my money?" seem to lose their steam as the simple truth of Jesus Christ's sacrifice for our salvation unfolds. What a pleasure it is to be a part of that unfolding. The invitation to "[t]aste and see that the Lord is good" brings joy to both the invited and the inviter.
When expressing this truth to others, I absolutely despise the sound of imaginary metal doors slamming shut as my family and friends choose to scoff. The thought of "It's so simple. It's so true. Why can't you see it?" gains speed from my brain to my lungs, but by the grace of God, it gets stopped somewhere just millimeters from my vocal cords . . . most of the time.
And that brings me to me. I have to understand that this verse is talking to me just as much as it is to both the guy who wants to believe and the scoffer. I need to take refuge in Him and know that He is good. All the time!

1. Do you believe that God is good? All the time?

2. When things get a little frustrating, do you stop and take refuge in Him? Do you know how to do this?

3. Do you have a story to tell about a time when you tasted and saw that the Lord is good? Have you shared it today?