I Sought the Lord - Psalm 34:4-7

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Note: The audio podcast here is a RambleCast and was recorded before the blog piece was written, so it does not match word for word. Not even close. 

I sought the Lord , and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them. Psalm 34:4-7 (CSB)

Some days I really beat myself up. Things not going great. Get so down that I get down for being down.

And guess what? I don't ever have to do that again.

I don't have to.

I don't.

I can always turn to Jesus. I have the Holy Spirit living right inside of me, right? I am His temple. I get to stand on that. I must. 

And that's what the Psalmist of Psalm 34 knows. He owns it. 

"I sought the Lord and He answered me." Hey, I could stop right there and think on just that for a thousand years or more. That is one of the most powerful group of words, the most healing, the most hopeful, ever written by anyone.

He is seeking the Lord. Not men. Certainly not the approval of men. He knows God's grace is sufficient. 

And the Lord responds. This is a loving, gracious God. He did not just answer with a nice hello. No, "He rescued me from all my fears." All of them. 

God doesn't do things just a little. He does all. 

Now, in my case what that looks like is this: God shows me some of what is causing my fears, then some more and then some more. I usually don't get hit like a bucket of Gatorade all at once. Though that little bit at a time often feels like it is all I can possibly manage to understand, all I can cope with. The Lord knows me inside out. 

And just about the time, I think I'm good, He gently shows me more. And each time, my heart softens even more to what He is saying to me. 

Now, the Psalmist intensifies things. Those (that's all believers) who look to Him are radiant with joy. Not just a drop of goodness, no, radiant. What? What a God I serve!

Why am I looking to Him? Because of these miserable fears I carry around. I look to Him like a child looking to his dad for help, and as I look to Him, the fears fade. They aren't welcome in the presence of the Lord. 

Someone recently reminded me that the Bible says, "Fear not", over and over again. He says this to all of His believing children.

"They are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed." 

There is no shame when they are seeking the Lord. When we seek Him, He says, "Come on. I got you. This is where you belong." 

The fear fades, and the shame shimmies away. No fear. No shame. Gone.

And just to make sure that I'm not going to think he was talking about some special person, a VIP believer, he says, "This poor man cried. And the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles."

It's a poor man. Not a rich man. Not a celebrity. Not a king. A poor man.

That poor man (me) has a red phone line that Jesus always picks up on the other end. Always. And he saves him from all his troubles. All of them. 

And that phone line metaphor is severely lacking because He is already right here with me. This is not a long distance call to heaven. He's already right here. Always. 

Now, just to show how incredible this is, the Psalmist pulls back the veil and reveals that we have angelic protection too. They cover our backsides. 

I wonder how many times an angel has bailed me out of some horrible mess that I made for myself? I'm sure I would be shocked to know. 

The Lord loves me in ways I can only begin to comprehend. He answers me. He rescues me from all my fears. He saves me from all of my troubles. He makes me radiant with joy. And he provides angels as protection. 

How silly of me to not talk to Him about all of it!

How beautiful, how special, it is to be a child of God!

Lord, I have taken You for granted many times in my walk. I repent. May I seek you. May I talk to you. May I tell you my fears and troubles. I know that I matter to you. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. 


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