Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Psalm 34:4-5

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.

            The title of this Psalm reminds of King David’s situation (see pages 3-4 above).

1Samuel 21:10   And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,

             ‘Saul has struck down his thousands,

                        and David his ten thousands’?”

12        And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

            By pretending madness and insanity David secured his release and escaped. However, David realized that it was not he himself who worked this out but rather Yhwh worked this out for him. I sought the LORD, and He answered me. It was God’s deliverance that brought about his salvation that day.

            God didn’t answer David because of his royal status. David is one of the humble, the lowly, one of “the bottom of the heap” guys. He is in the same boat as all the others of God’s people, just like you and me.
            David does not promote a “name it and claim it” theology. Sometimes God will deliver and, for reasons unknown to us, He may not deliver us in the way we would want Him to. However, God never abandons His people.

            The fear of the LORD is seeking, and that seeking is found in the cross of Jesus. Indeed, there are many things in this world that move us to fear. Death and dying are at the top of the list for many people. The ultimate and final deliverance comes when Jesus returns and finishes what He has already started. The ultimate deliverance is from the powers of sin, death and damnation, and the devil himself, which Jesus took care of on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. In Baptism God made a promise to you that He will be with you always—no matter what situation you might find yourself in. Those who look to Jesus will never be put to shame, and that means you.