Today's Devotions

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Showcase: Assorted Treats

  • Introduction to The Death of Death..by JI Packer +

    INTRODUCTORY ESSAY ___ to John Owen's The Death Of Death in the Death of Christ ___ By J.I. Packer _________ Read More
  • An Interview with Os Guiness on the 25th Anniversary of Francis Schaeffer's Death-Justin Taylor, 2009 +

    Next week (May 15) will be the 25th anniversary of the death of Francis Schaeffer, who died in his home Read More
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Don  Carson

http://www.esvbible.org/Leviticus+27/

http://www.esvbible.org/Psalm+34/

http://www.esvbible.org/Ecclesiastes+10/

http://www.esvbible.org/Titus+2/

ONE OF THE INEVITABLE CHARACTERISTICS of those who genuinely praise the Lord is that they want others to join with them in their praise.

They recognize that if God is the sort of God their praises say he is, then he ought to be recognized by others. Moreover, one of the reasons for praising the Lord is to thank him for the help he has provided. If then we see others in need of the same sort of help, isn't it natural for us to share our own experience of God's provision, in the hope that others will seek God's help? And will this not result in an enlarging circle of praise?

It is wonderful to hear David say, "I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips" (Ps. 34:1). But he also invites others, first to share the Lord's goodness, and then to participate in praise. Hence we read, first, "My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice" (34:2). The afflicted need to learn from the answers to prayer that David has experienced, and which he will shortly detail. And second, the broad invitation to expand the circle of praise follows: "Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together" (34:3).

The next lines find David testifying to his own experience of God's grace (34:4-7). The succeeding section is an earnest exhortation to others to trust and follow this same God (34:8-14), and the remainder of the psalm is devoted to extolling the Lord's righteousness, which ensures he is attentive to the cries of the righteous and sets his face against those who do evil (34:15-22).

God, David insists, did actually save him "out of all his troubles" (34:6). That is objective fact. Whether he can be seen or not, the "angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them" (34:7). But in addition to the troubles through which we pass, sometimes more threatening, certainly no less damaging, are the fears that attend them. Fear makes us lose perspective, doubt God's faithfulness, question the value of the fight. Fear induces stress, bitterness, cowardice, and folly. But David's testimony is a wonderful encouragement: "I sought the LORD and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears" (34:4). True the word fears could refer to his own psychological terror, or to the things that made him afraid: doubtless the Lord delivered David from both. But that his own outlook was transformed is made clear by the next verse: "Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame" (34:5).

Leviticus 27; Psalm 34; Eccl. 10; Titus 2

Reflections to Consider

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Publications

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Music

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Audio & Video

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Favorites

  • Eat This Book, Eugene Peterson +

    Eugene Peterson’s book, Eat This Book gets its name from Revelation 10:9-10 when John asks for the scroll containing God’s Read More
  • Martin Luther’s Quiet Time, Walter Trobisch +

    Martin Luther had a barber named Peter Beskendorf who asked his world-famous customer and doctor of theology, "Dr. Luther, how Read More
  • Storytelling +

    Eugene Peterson discusses his influences as a writer, as well as how and why he created the Message translation. This Read More
  • Life as an Alien +

    Timothy Keller, the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC, provides an inspiring portrayal of what the church is supposed Read More
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Hidden Blessings

  • Separated Unto the Holy Ghost (Andrew Murray) +

    Below is chapter 3 from the book, Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray, a South African "Now there were in the Read More
  • The Human Body and Spiritual Growth: Dallas Willard +

    In Christian Educator's Handbook on Spiritual Formation, edited by James Wilhoit of Wheaton College. "Spiritual formation" is the process through Read More
  • January 28 Devotional: Oswald Chambers +

    Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? —Acts 26:14 Read More
  • Coupla Things by Julie Moore +

    It has occurred to me that maybe more people would read my blog if the posts were shorter. I'm not Read More
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