Finding Joy and Redemption in Life's Hardships

 

Summary

Psalm 34 serves as a profound reminder of how life's hardships can deepen our happiness in God. Reflecting on King David's life, particularly during a low point when he sought refuge with the Philistines, we see a man who was promised kingship yet found himself fleeing for his life. This moment of desperation led David to write Psalm 34, a testament to the transformative power of trusting in God amidst adversity. David's experience teaches us that even when we make poor decisions, God's grace can redeem and restore us, leading us to a deeper understanding of His goodness.

David's call to "taste and see that the Lord is good" invites us to experience God's multifaceted nature. This isn't just about physical sustenance but about discovering the richness of God's character through life's trials. David's journey from fear and control to trust and surrender illustrates the joy found in taking refuge in God rather than in our own strength. The psalm encourages us to boast in the Lord, recognizing that praise is contagious and can uplift our spirits and those around us.

The latter part of Psalm 34 offers practical wisdom on maintaining joy in God. David advises us to control our tongues, seek peace, and turn away from evil, emphasizing that God's eyes and ears are open to the righteous. He reminds us to cry out to God in times of need, assuring us that God is near to the brokenhearted. The psalm concludes with a powerful message of redemption, highlighting that God redeems His servants and that those who take refuge in Him will not be punished. This points to the ultimate redemption found in Jesus Christ, who took our punishment upon Himself.

As we transition from Thanksgiving to the Advent season, we are reminded of the hope and joy that come from recognizing God's provision and presence in our lives. The Advent season invites us to reflect on the incarnation of Christ, the ultimate expression of God's goodness and love. Through the genealogy of Jesus, we see His rightful place as King, fulfilling God's promises and offering us eternal hope.

Key Takeaways:

1. Hardships Enhance Happiness in God: Life's challenges can deepen our joy in God as we learn to trust Him more fully. David's experience of fleeing from Saul and seeking refuge with the Philistines illustrates how God can use our lowest moments to reveal His goodness and faithfulness. [03:59]

2. Taste and See God's Goodness: David's invitation to "taste and see that the Lord is good" encourages us to explore the richness of God's character. This involves experiencing His provision and presence in our lives, especially during difficult times. [20:24]

3. Praise is Contagious: Sharing testimonies of God's goodness can uplift and encourage others. David's call to boast in the Lord reminds us that praise can spread joy and strengthen our faith community. [14:22]

4. Seek God's Help Without Shame: David teaches us that there is no reason to be embarrassed when asking God for help. God welcomes our cries for assistance and promises to be near to the brokenhearted. [16:13]

5. Redemption Through Christ: Psalm 34 concludes with a message of redemption, pointing to the ultimate hope found in Jesus. Through His sacrifice, we are redeemed and can take refuge in Him, knowing that we will not be punished. [36:11]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [02:04] - Participation and Testimonies
- [03:04] - King David's Low Point
- [03:59] - David's Refuge with the Philistines
- [06:12] - David's Predicament
- [07:27] - Unexpected Interruptions
- [08:18] - Prayer and Reflection
- [14:22] - Boasting in the Lord
- [16:13] - Seeking God Without Shame
- [18:31] - The Angel of the Lord
- [20:24] - Taste and See God's Goodness
- [23:02] - Happiness in Refuge
- [25:03] - God's Provision and Testimonies
- [30:26] - Maintaining Joy in God
- [32:24] - Crying Out for Help
- [36:11] - Redemption Through Christ
- [41:44] - Advent and Kinglyology Introduction

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Psalm 34

Bible Reading:
- Psalm 34

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Observation Questions:

1. What circumstances led David to write Psalm 34, and how did his actions reflect his state of mind during that time? [03:04]

2. In Psalm 34, David invites us to "taste and see that the Lord is good." What does this phrase mean in the context of his experiences? [21:28]

3. How does David describe the relationship between fearing the Lord and experiencing His protection and provision? [18:31]

4. What practical advice does David offer in Psalm 34 for maintaining joy in God, and how does he suggest we can avoid evil? [30:26]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does David's experience with the Philistines illustrate the transformative power of trusting in God amidst adversity? [03:59]

2. What does it mean to "boast in the Lord," and how can this act of praise impact both the individual and the community? [14:22]

3. How does David's call to seek God's help without shame challenge common perceptions about vulnerability and dependence on God? [16:13]

4. In what ways does Psalm 34 point to the ultimate redemption found in Jesus Christ, and how does this shape our understanding of God's grace? [36:11]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you faced a hardship. How did it affect your relationship with God, and what did you learn about His goodness through that experience? [03:59]

2. David encourages us to "taste and see that the Lord is good." What are some practical ways you can actively seek to experience God's goodness in your daily life? [21:28]

3. How can you make praise a more integral part of your life, and in what ways can sharing testimonies of God's goodness uplift those around you? [14:22]

4. Are there areas in your life where you feel embarrassed to ask God for help? How can you overcome this hesitation and seek His assistance more freely? [16:13]

5. David emphasizes the importance of controlling our tongues and seeking peace. Identify a situation where you can apply this wisdom, and what steps will you take to pursue peace? [30:26]

6. How does the promise of redemption through Christ influence your perspective on personal failures and the need for grace? [36:11]

7. As we transition into the Advent season, how can you reflect on the incarnation of Christ and its significance in your life? What specific actions can you take to prepare your heart for this season? [41:44]

Devotional

I'm ready to provide the 5-day devotional based on the steps outlined. Here it is:

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Day 1: Hardships as Pathways to Deeper Joy in God
Life's challenges often serve as unexpected pathways to a deeper joy in God. King David's experience of fleeing from Saul and seeking refuge with the Philistines illustrates how God can use our lowest moments to reveal His goodness and faithfulness. Despite being promised kingship, David found himself in a desperate situation, yet it was in this place of vulnerability that he wrote Psalm 34. This psalm is a testament to the transformative power of trusting in God amidst adversity. It teaches us that even when we make poor decisions, God's grace can redeem and restore us, leading us to a deeper understanding of His goodness. [03:59]

Psalm 119:71-72 (ESV): "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces."

Reflection: Think of a recent hardship you faced. How did it shape your understanding of God's presence and faithfulness in your life?


Day 2: Experiencing the Richness of God's Character
David's invitation to "taste and see that the Lord is good" encourages us to explore the richness of God's character. This involves experiencing His provision and presence in our lives, especially during difficult times. David's journey from fear and control to trust and surrender illustrates the joy found in taking refuge in God rather than in our own strength. By inviting us to "taste and see," David is calling us to a deeper, experiential knowledge of God that goes beyond mere intellectual understanding. This is about discovering the multifaceted nature of God through life's trials and recognizing His goodness in every circumstance. [20:24]

Psalm 63:3-5 (ESV): "Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips."

Reflection: In what ways can you intentionally "taste and see" God's goodness in your current circumstances today?


Day 3: The Contagious Nature of Praise
Sharing testimonies of God's goodness can uplift and encourage others. David's call to boast in the Lord reminds us that praise can spread joy and strengthen our faith community. When we openly share how God has worked in our lives, it not only reinforces our own faith but also inspires those around us. Praise is contagious, and as we boast in the Lord, we create an atmosphere of gratitude and worship that can transform our communities. This is a powerful reminder that our testimonies have the potential to impact others and draw them closer to God. [14:22]

Hebrews 13:15-16 (ESV): "Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."

Reflection: Who can you share a testimony of God's goodness with today, and how might it encourage them in their faith journey?


Day 4: Seeking God's Help Without Shame
David teaches us that there is no reason to be embarrassed when asking God for help. God welcomes our cries for assistance and promises to be near to the brokenhearted. In times of need, we are encouraged to cry out to God, knowing that He is attentive to our prayers and ready to provide comfort and support. This assurance allows us to approach God with confidence, trusting that He is both willing and able to help us in our struggles. By seeking God's help without shame, we acknowledge our dependence on Him and open ourselves to His transformative power. [16:13]

Psalm 145:18-19 (ESV): "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need God's help today? How can you approach Him with confidence and without shame?


Day 5: Redemption and Refuge in Christ
Psalm 34 concludes with a message of redemption, pointing to the ultimate hope found in Jesus. Through His sacrifice, we are redeemed and can take refuge in Him, knowing that we will not be punished. This assurance of redemption is a powerful reminder of God's grace and mercy, which are available to us through Christ. As we reflect on the Advent season, we are reminded of the hope and joy that come from recognizing God's provision and presence in our lives. The incarnation of Christ is the ultimate expression of God's goodness and love, offering us eternal hope and a secure refuge. [36:11]

Colossians 1:13-14 (ESV): "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Reflection: How does the assurance of redemption through Christ influence the way you live your life today? What steps can you take to find refuge in Him amidst life's challenges?

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Quotes

Well, good morning, Soteria. So glad that you've joined us for our worship service this morning. I like this Sunday every year because this is the Sunday that I get to say, Happy Thanksgiving, right? Right in between both. And that's what we're going to have this morning is a service that's right between both. Happy Thanksgiving. It's a little bit of Thanksgiving and a little bit of Christmas. And so I look out this morning, we're coming off of Thanksgiving weekend. You all look very fat and happy. Let's say satisfied and happy. Is that better? I look very satisfied and happy this morning after a great weekend of Thanksgiving. So take your Bibles and turn to Psalm 34 as Pastor Ashton said this morning. That was awesome. My name is Aaron. I'm a pastor. And it came out, my name is Ashter. That's what he said. Ashter. I have a feeling that's going to be his new nickname around the office here. Pastor Ashter. Psalm 34 today. I'm actually going to be starting in 1 Samuel 21, but you don't need to turn there because I'm going to read it for you. We're going to look at Psalm 34 this morning and talk about King David. I did this in my breakfast table this morning. I asked my son, what do you think of when you hear the name King David? So I'm going to do it this morning. By the way, this sermon this morning is going to be a lot of participation. Okay. So I need people to participate. We're going to actually give some testimonies today. So I've got a microphone here. This is number eight so that Isaac knows what it is. And I've got someone I need to run a mic around for me. And it's going to be Mr. Garrett Johnson over here. Hey, that woke you up, didn't it this morning? How's it going? Why don't you stand up? Everybody say good morning, Garrett. Yeah, this guy was just baptized a couple of weeks ago. And this is baptism by fire right here. So you can stay here and then I'm going to activate you. All right. And I'm going to say Garrett. Let's go. You look athletic. Are you athletic? Okay. Just enough to be able to run. And I say run. That's why I chose someone young and not someone old like me, because I need like run. So you're going to be down here and we're going to have a time about three times in the sermon. I'm going to have people just testify. We're going to just testify. So you be ready for that. Be thinking about this as I prompt you today. This sermon will rise or fall on your participation. It'll either be good or really bad. All right. So it's going to be good or really bad. It's up to you. It's your fault if this is bad this morning. Not really. That's okay. So King David, tell me, when I say King David, what do you think of? we're not off to a good start. When I say King David, what do you think of? Just call it out. Oh, Psalm 23, that's a good one. What else? Yes. That's what I said to my son. I said, I think that's going to be number one. And then someone got real spiritual with us on Psalm 23. That's okay. Goliath. Yeah. What else do you think of? Yes, absolutely. What else? Psalms, like lots of Psalms, right? Or songs? Oh, Saul. It could be Psalm. It could be salt. I was trying to figure out what salt had to do with King David. Saul. Very good. Other things you think of King David? Jesus what? Yes, Jesus lineage. Very good. Jonathan. I told Elijah, I said, I think number one's going to be Goliath. I said, number two, I think is going to be Bathsheba. I heard someone say it over here. None of you wanted to say it though, right? I can tell. None of you wanted to say Bathsheba. So we think of a lot of highs with David. Man after God's own heart. There's a lot of good things to talk about with King David. David certainly had some low points in his life, didn't he? And I want to share a low point in David's life because we're going to look at Psalm 34. Psalm 34 was written after a low point in David's life. This is a little known low point. People don't normally think of this. I really didn't expect anybody, to think of this this morning as a low point. By the way, my voice is still trying to recover, so I'm going to kind of keep it on the down low here this morning, just so you recognize that. But let me read a little bit out of Psalm or 1 Samuel chapter 21. There was a point in David's life where he was promised by God, you will be king. Well, the sitting king, King Saul, didn't like that and set out to kill David. And here David is the promised king, God's anointed king. He's the promised king. He's the promised king. He's the promised king. He's the promised king. You're going to be the king of Israel. And he finds himself on the run for his life, sleeping in caves and anywhere he can find to try to preserve his life. Well, there were a couple of moments here in David's life as you read through these chapters. This is a real low point here in the 1 Samuel 20s, as David actually is going to the enemy. He's trying to take refuge with the enemy, making friends with the enemy. Who is the enemy? Israel had a lot of enemies. There was one enemy, that was a constant thorn in Israel's side, and their name was the Philistines. You remember the Philistines? Yeah, Goliath was a Philistine. seeing, right? So this is like the major enemy of David. And look at what it says. Well, not look, listen to what it says. 1 Samuel 20 and verse 10, David fled that day from Saul's presence and went to King Achish of Gath, fraternizing with the enemy, pretending like he was on the same team with the enemy. Where's Gath? Well, if you do some study where Gath is, this is in the modern -day Gaza Strip. Nothing interesting ever has happened there, right? Gaza Strip, this is the Philistines. Modern -day Palestinians, there's still some connect there to the Philistines. Isn't that interesting? There's still tension going on between these people groups. And here's David pretending like he's a friend of the Philistines, wanting to join their ranks. King David, the one who's been pretending to be a friend of the Philistines, is a friend of the Philistines. promise. You're going to be the king of Israel. This very easily could have been disqualifying for David to be the king. Verse 11, but Achish's servants said to him, wait a second, wait a second, isn't this David, the one who's going to be king of the land? Don't they sing about him? Saul's killed his thousands and David's killed his 10 ,000s of Philistines? This is the guy? Suddenly David knew, abort, I'm in trouble. David took this to heart and became afraid of King Achish of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence. He acted like a madman around them, scratching on the walls and the doors, and letting them in. Saliva run down his beard. Oh boy. This is interesting. Tony? We will hang on just one second and see what's going on. What's up, Tony? A kid pulled it? Okay. Can you tell me, Tony, how long it's going to take for this to cut off? What's that? Yeah, they're going to. I can say this has never happened before. count it all joy amen count it all joy i'm not counting it joy this morning okay anybody want to share a testimony today anybody have any jokes you want to share we'll see how quickly they can get this cut off here oh sounded so close felt like when you're on hold you know what i mean and it like clicks for a second and you're like maybe oh then the music starts up again you're like oh come on yes this is david being insane yeah this is going to make me go insane here just a minute yeah i don't know in this text here david goes insane scratching on doors letting saliva i don't think i've ever been in a pinch such that i acted insane except for maybe right now right anybody ever experienced that we will give it a sight see people oh almost felt so close felt so close i see a flurry of activity out there this is going to be interesting well i'll tell you what why don't you just take a time turn to your neighbor and spend a little bit of time of prayer for a second here is that okay why don't you just do some prayer in your pews here and we'll see if we can get this turned off otherwise it's going to be really hard to keep to continue on here this morning so go ahead and just break up into little prayer groups number one prayer request y 'all know what it is number one prayer request hey who just prayed that you stand up you stand up stand up right there you yeah i'm pointing you know you yeah yeah you stand up all right she just prayed that okay stay up now i want you to can you pray that the lord gets me a new car for christmas right now pray that please that'd be amazing i don't know what kind of a fix that you've been in in your life before but i've never been in such a fix where i had to act like i was insane to get out of it except for maybe right now but here's david acting like he's crazy i mean this is a predicament and he's acting like he's nuts i mean this is a low point probably one of the lowest points in david's life and he writes psalm 34 after this point in his life and i want you to see the big big idea this morning it's important to understand what's happening in psalm 34 and that's this that hardships in life they will enhance your happiness in god hardships in life have a way of enhancing your happiness in god david's going to walk through the lowest point in his life the most difficult time in his life where he turned what do we have crickets going now what in the world is going on you can't blame a kid for that one right kid at heart right david's at a point in life here where he was in such a predicament he turned to his own control instead of trusting the lord and sometimes you can find yourself doing that but he's going to say in psalm 34 listen i walked through the desert i was at the point of absolute desperation and i came out of the other side of that and i've tasted and i've seen how happy you can truly be in the lord because of the hardship that i faced in the desert look with me at psalm 34 verse 8 this is the center of this psalm this is where we all want to get to it says in verse 8 taste and see that the lord is good how many of you did that on thursday amen taste and see that the lord is good this is a classic thanksgiving text but david's saying that taste and see that the lord is good and he can say that from a perspective that's unique because he went through a very difficult time much of his own making much because of his bad decisions and some of you might be at a point like that maybe you're just going through a normal hard time but maybe you're going through a struggle because you're you've made some really poor decisions in your life but what's so great about the grace of god is that even when we've made poor decisions god is able to retrieve that and redeem that and bring us on the other side and help us to understand his immense and intense goodness in our lives so let's walk through this text this morning this is where i want to include some time of testifying here today because david gives a call to worship and so as we walk through these first couple of verses i would love to have somebody who's going to be with us today who's going to be all of us actually be thinking in our minds how has god been good to boast in the lord that's what is happening here in verses one through three to boast in the lord he says in verse one i will bless the lord at all times his praise will always be on my lips always that literally means in every time of life his praise is on my lips anybody here ever had times in your life where praising god did not work you did not work in your life you did not work in your life you did not work in your come naturally. David says here, his praise will always be on my lips. Verse two, I will boast in the Lord. The humble will hear and be glad. And then in verse three, he invites everybody else along and says, proclaim the Lord's greatness with me. Let us exalt his name together. Let us exalt together. Praise is contagious. Garrett, I'm going to activate you. Come on up here. Stand right here. Praise is contagious. What do you have this morning? How can you boast in the Lord? We'll get a couple. Just raise your hand. Garrett's going to run the microphone to you and let's boast in the Lord this morning. Who would like to boast in the Lord today? What do you have to give God praise for? Right in the back there. Go Garrett. Faster. Scott, how are you going to boast in the Lord? Praise God. Amen. Someone else want to boast in the Lord this morning? Amen. All right, Garrett, I got one up here. Right back up here to home base. What's that? that's okay. Boast in the Lord. Amen. That's awesome. First three verses, the call to praise, and a call to praise is let's boast in the Lord together. Praise is contagious. Isn't that contagious when you hear that this morning? Those words of testimony. Let's look at the next verses, verses four through seven here. It says, I sought the Lord, and he answered me. David's going to walk through this time. He's narrating the time. When he acted insane in front of King Achish of Gath. I sought the Lord. He answered me and rescued me from all of my fears. Those who look on him are radiant with joy. Their faces will never be ashamed. And the play between verses four and five sounds like this. I sought the Lord, and you sense in what David's saying that he was hesitant to seek the Lord because he was embarrassed. David was embarrassed about the predicament he had gotten himself into. So that's why he says in verse five, their faces will never be ashamed. And there are times where you can do something. You can be and have a problem that's so deep and so difficult that you can literally be embarrassed to turn to the Lord for help. And David's admonition here in verses four and five is that there's never any reason to ever be embarrassed asking God for help. Amen. Amen. If you turn to the Lord, turn your face to the Lord, it will be radiant. You'll never be ashamed. He will never treat you in a demeaning way when you come to him for help. And that's the lesson that David learned as he was acting insane with spit running down his beard. As he finally woke up and came to his senses and said, God, I'm an idiot. Please help me. And God says, no problem. Verses six and seven. You hear this in his voice again. This poor man cried. This poor man. He recognizes his situation at this point. This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles. And the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and rescues him. That is a phenomenal promise. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him. What's the opposite of fearing him? Let me tell you. The opposite of fearing him is taking matters into your own hands. The opposite of fearing him is trying to control your own life, trying to control your own situation. Just like David did, trying to control his own outcome and having to act insane in front of this king instead of fearing the Lord. Instead of saying, Lord, you're in control. Lord, you know what you're doing. What's the opposite of fearing him? And for those who fear. The Lord hears the promise in verse seven. The angel of the Lord encamps around you. Do you know who the angel of the Lord is? As you trace this through scripture, the angel of the Lord is none other than God himself. And in the Old Testament, we learn as we go through the appearances of the angel of the Lord. This is likely a pre -incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ himself who came and helped. His people out of times of trouble. The promise when you fear the Lord, you don't try to control it yourself. You fear the Lord, you will have the presence of Jesus encamped around you. That's a wonderful promise. That's the occasion for worship. So now we get to the heart of this psalm, verses eight through ten, and we learn this. The reason then for worship as he goes on and talks about the two commands here we have in verse eight, taste and see that command runs. It's one idea, and then it says in verse nine, you who are as holy ones, fear the Lord, fear the Lord. And so we look there at taste and see, and as we start this section, I just want you to be thinking in your mind, where have you seen God's provision? Think about how you would answer that. And I want a few volunteers here in a few minutes to talk about where you've seen God's rescue or God's provision. In your life, where can you see that you've tasted and seen that the Lord is good? Think about that. So like I said, this is a classic Thanksgiving passage. He says, taste, taste and see. He's activating our senses. Taste obviously has links to food. This is why this is always used at Thanksgiving. This is why this was used when I was growing up. Most smaller churches would always have a church cookbook. Anybody remember that? All the ladies of the church would send their recipes, their best recipes to the office, and the office would compile this together on the mimeograph machine. Those machines in those church offices, and then put it into a spiral bound book, and then the cover would have some picture of like a Thanksgiving dinner. And there was the verse, Psalm 34, eight, taste and see that the Lord is good. a church cookbook. That's what David's invoking in our minds. That's a great verse. What does it mean to taste and see? Well, to taste, to try out different things, to try out different combinations of flavor, to experiment with food, how to make things better. And what the psalmist is saying, discover the multifaceted, the multivaried flavors of who God is. How many of you tried out a new recipe on Thursday? Anybody? All right. Keep your hand up. Now just show me. Success or failure? All right. Most thumbs up. Jonathan, thumbs up. Amanda, would you agree with that success or failure? You looked a little iffy on that. See, that's the problem. You don't really like turkey. It takes a lot to get a turkey to taste good, doesn't it? It was good. Here's a tip for you. Taste and see that turkey is good. I'm telling you, smoking a turkey is the best way to do it. All right? I got eight hours on mine. It's a long process. It takes days, but it does take days to make turkey to taste good. That's what happened for me over the weekend. Experiment and taste the flavors in that. That's what David's trying to invoke in our minds is taste and see that the Lord is good. And look what it says in verse 8 as it continues, how happy is the person who takes refuge in him? Happy is the person who takes refuge in him. David had fled to his enemies. David was trying to take refuge in the Philistines. David was trying to control those circumstances on his own. And David comes around and says, that is miserable. I would be far happier if I took refuge in the Lord. That's where the happiness is truly found. And he goes on, those who are his holy ones fear the Lord. Those who fear him lack. Nothing. Those who fear him lack nothing. This is not a promise of wealth. Okay? Just make sure you know that. Being a Christian doesn't necessarily mean your life goes better. It doesn't necessarily mean you're going to have success and prosperity. When he says those who fear him will lack nothing, what it means is that you will have everything that God thinks that you need. Notice how I phrased that? It's very important to understand that because what we think we need and what God thinks we need can be two different things. So he says those who fear him will lack nothing. We will have exactly what God deems that we need in any given moment in our life. It was beautiful in the first service. We had a testimony from a young lady. Her sister, Grace, just passed away. We just had the funeral for this 28 -year -old wife and mother. And her sister gave a testimony this morning, her sister Faith. Sister said, this is actually my sister's, Grace's testimony. She said if Grace was here this morning, she would say that God gave her everything she needed all the way to the very end. The day that she passed away, she went out praising God for his provision. Boy, that's a strong testimony, let me tell you, from a young lady that tragically died of cancer. Those who fear him, you will have what you need. Verse 10, young lions lack food and go, hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing. The allusion to young lions here is an allusion to his enemies. Your enemies will starve out. God will destroy the ungodly at some point in time. If you fear the Lord and trust the Lord, he will sustain the righteous. Garrett, activate. Come on up here, buddy. All right, testimonies. How have you tasted and seen that the Lord is good? Hands. I'll do it in the back again. Amen. Amen. That's awesome. Someone else. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Over here, don't worry. It's okay. Come on. He can run. It's good. Come on over here. Right there. Amen. Amen. One more. Taste and see. Right back there. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Amen. Thanks. Thank you. Garrett, you're done, man. Let's give Garrett a hand. Thanks, bud. All right. So now we turn into the last section, verses 11 through 22. And here's what Dave is going to do. Dave is going to say, look, I went, I went wrong. I went very wrong. I did this the wrong way. And now I want to teach you. Look what he says, verse 11 to 12. Come children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Because he talks about the fear, those who fear him. He wasn't showing the fear. Those who fear him will receive these things. Who is someone who desires loving a long life to enjoy what is good? So how is it that we taste and see that God is good? He gives us some admonitions here, three admonitions as he finishes out these verses. This is how we continue to fear Lord. Some lessons in maintaining joy in God. We fear and trust the Lord by a few ways here. Verses 13 through 16, he says, David realizes that there's so much turmoil. There's so many issues in our lives caused from sinful mouths, sinful words, deceit. How many of you have gotten into any relational turmoil because of something you said or something somebody said to you? You probably think of lots of times, right? David says, listen, you'll avoid a lot of that stuff. You'll remain happy in God if you can keep control of your tongue. It kind of sounds like another sermon I preached here recently in James. Doesn't it? Look what he says in verses 13 through 16. Keep your tongue from evil, your lips from deceitful speech. Turn away from evil. Do what is good. Seek peace and pursue it. Turn away from evil. He realized that he didn't do that. And that's what got him into this predicament. He took matters into his own hands. He was deceitful. He kept deceiving the Philistines saying, oh, I'm on your side. And he was trying to join their forces and to protect himself. And it was all deceitful. And he realized where that led him. And he, verses 15 and 16, shows us why you should keep yourself free from deceit and sin. He says, because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their cry for help. The face of the Lord is set against those who do what is evil to remove all memory from them from the earth. How many of you want to have God's eyes and ears open to you, right? Yeah. How? He says, keep yourself from evil. Keep your lips from evil. Keep seeking him. Keep asking for help. And that's where he goes now in verses 17 and 18. He says, cry out to the Lord when we are in need. And it sounds so simple, but we often don't do that. Someone just said, Ashley, you just said in your testimony, have I actually asked God for help? That's what he says, verse 17 and 18. The righteous cry out and the Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Do you want God to be close to you in those moments? Answer, yes. Well, keep yourself from evil and ask. Ask him. I'm always amazed talking to people going through hard times. Have you asked God for help? Oh yeah, I've asked him. Like how many times? Once, twice? How about every 15 minutes? And you think to yourself, well, God's sovereign. He doesn't need to, he already knows what I need. He does, but he wants you to ask. He wants you to please. He wants you to again and again and again to come to the throne of grace. It's not for his sake, it's for our sake. He wants us to be like the child that has something in his or her mind and won't let it go. Anybody been there with your kid? So what do you think, dad? Can I, dad? Dad, what do you think? Yeah, can we, dad? Can we, can we, can we, can we, can we? Like, just stop. Here's the thing. God never says stop. He says, keep asking. Keep asking. Look at the end of these verses here, verses 19 through 21. We have the third idea here is maintaining your righteousness in the face of trouble. And this is hard to do. Flee from righteousness. Ask the Lord for help. And then as this trouble, as this is a sustained issue, and it may go on longer than you hope, it is actually hard to remain righteous. Read about that in the book of Job. He was great early on, but some sin crept into his heart as the book continued. It's actually hard to remain righteous in the middle of a trying circumstance. He says, verse 19, the one who is righteous has many adversities, but the Lord rescues from them all. He protects all his bones and not one of them is broken. Now, we just read in verse 18 that there's times where you are crushed and you're brokenhearted. So how do you make verse 18 and verse 20 work together? What the psalmist is saying, what David is saying is there are crushing moments that you will experience those crushing moments that you will experience those times, the brokenheartedness. But verse 20, he will protect you. And he's saying that you won't experience brokenness. What he's saying is that there will be rescue in the end and preservation of you in the end. And verse 20 is used in the New Testament to talk about Jesus who went through the crucifixion and not a single one of his bones was broken. And it was a sign of things to come that God was going to bring him out of that grave very much alive. That's how verse 20, is used later. Verse 21, evil brings death to the wicked and those who hate righteous will be punished. And we come to the end of his instruction. There's one verse left. Psalm 34 is an acrostic. Each verse starts with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, starting with Aleph, first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and going all the way through to the end. There's 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, but the psalmist David only included 21. He skipped a letter for some reason. And verse 22 does not have a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It's not in the acrostic, but it stands alone by itself as if to flash a light to us. This is the most important piece of it. And verse 22, for those of us who stand on this side of the cross, verse 22 is absolutely saturated with beautiful gospel truth. Look what it says. The Lord redeems the life of his servants. You know what that means, that he says the Lord redeems the life of his servants? That means that you're going to need to be redeemed. What verse 22 means is that you're going to screw up. Are you thankful for that? God expects it. And he's there to redeem you. Here's how he does it at the end of verse 22. And just think about the implications of Christ here. David didn't know about Jesus at this point. And all who take refuge in him will not be punished. He is prophetically speaking of a doctrine called substitutionary atonement. That when you think about the Lord Jesus Christ being whipped and beaten and mocked, he's not going to be punished. He's going to be punished. He's going to be mocked and put on a cross that we are behind him. We are in him. He is taking the penalty for our sin in his body on the tree in a substitutionary sort of way. And he gives us his righteous record if we trust and believe that he took our punishment for our sin. That's what verse 22 is proclaiming to all of us. There is hope in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. The Lord is good, first and foremost, by recognizing the fact that Jesus has provided what we need in him and in his blood. Turning away from righteousness, crying out for help, maintaining your righteousness in the middle of hardship, continuing to turn to God. Don't take matters into your own hands. Don't try to control your own circumstances. Fear the Lord and find him to be the satisfying God that he is. psalm 34 says taste and see that the lord is good this is not promising that you'll have a life free of difficulty it is promising that once you've been to hell and back that you will find him good and satisfying in a way that you never thought possible hardships in life they enhance our happiness in god and there's many of you that could tell stories of that truth this morning as we close this part of the service i'd ask you to take a connect card you can scan the code write a prayer request down for us but we're going to also prepare to take the lord's supper here together this morning and so if you didn't get a communion set on your way in you can head on back to the tables and grab a communion set we just want to give you a chance to think and reflect and then we're going to take the lord's supper and kind of turn the corner this morning in this service out of thanksgiving out of psalm 34 into the advent and we're going to take the lord's supper and kind of turn the corner this morning in this service season as we think about christ as we ended with christ in verse 22 and now we think about the coming of christ as a baby and we celebrate his first advent let's pray together and we're going to sing father thank you that we can celebrate this morning thank you that we can take refuge in christ thank you that we can taste and see that you are good help us to know that in all circumstances in life thank you for the provision of our [00:00:00] ( | | )

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