PONDERING... Are You Experiencing His Goodness? —Part 1 (Psalm 34:1-8)

VIDEO

Are You Experiencing His Goodness? —Part 1 (Psalm 34:1-8)

GIST: You can face fear & shame when your life is defined by His goodness; this will then result in a desire to continually praise.

This morning we’re coming to the first part of this beautiful psalm about God’s goodness. This was actually written after one of my favorite events in the life of David, though it is a bit of a controversial one. See, though David was chosen by God to lead Israel and used by God to accomplish incredible things, he spent much of his early life running from the then-current king of Israel, Saul, who was jealous of David’s popularity and success and wanted to kill him. At one point, this led to David seeking refuge in Gath, the land of his enemies...like where Goliath was from. Unfortunately, he was recognized, so he decides to act crazy to see if he can get out of there alive. He raves like a crazy man, making markings are the gates and letting drool run down his chin. And it worked! The king literally said to his servant, “Do I not have enough crazy people here that you’ve brought me this one too?!”, so David is able to leave safely. 

Now, there are some who take this to have been done in poor taste by David. I’m not prepared to make an argument for or against acting crazy to get out of a bad situation. What David took from this occurrence though, and what our psalm focuses in on, is what God reminded him during this time. I actually struggled a bit with how much of this psalm to cover first and how to walk through it, but giving credit where it is due, Tim Keller’s book “The Songs of Jesus” really helped clarify some things for me, and I highly recommend that devotion to anyone looking to walk through the psalms in your personal Bible study. 

That being said, we’re going to focus in on what God’s goodness means to our personal identities and how it should shape the way we face life. So, let’s read just the first 8 verses here, then break down our gist. 

“1 Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away. 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!”

There’s a lot I want to try and digest with you guys this morning, so let me just give you our gist so we can dive in→  You can face fear & shame when your life is defined by His goodness; this will then result in a desire to continually praise. To really understand what he’s saying in the first few verses, we need to get the picture of what brought him to this point, so we’re going to look at verses 4-8 first, then close with 1-3. (Bear with me on this one! ☺️) Let’s do it! → 

I. You Can Face Fear & Shame When Your Life Is Defined By His Goodness (4-8)

The first point I want to note here is that→ 

Our Personal Identity Should Be Fed By Our Personal Experiences With Him.  Look at verse 4. “4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”  I want to make two notes about this verse. First, this experience resulted from personal seeking, not relying on the seeking of others. There is so much in this world vying for our attention and, really, our devotion. There are so many voices speaking to our hearts about who we should be and what should define us. I don’t want to just be yet another part of that racket. I can tell you what should define you: your relationship with Jesus— period. However, my words aren’t enough to make that your reality, and they never could be. And my experiences aren’t enough to make that real for you anymore than the experiences of my heroes in the faith is enough to sustain my identity in Him. I need to seek Him myself. I need to spend time reading His Word and praying at all times and seeking His guidance even when the sky is falling. So do you. Hold that thought. I’ll come back to it in about. Four verses ☺️. 

Now, look at what this personal seeking resulted in— deliverance from fears! This hit home for me hard this week because fear has been a special topic of conversation in our house over the past week… especially late at night…and probably provoked by some scary storytelling around recent campfires ☺️. But the fears are legitimate, and one of the questions I’ve been asked most frequently is, “Daddy, why aren’t you afraid of anything?” I’ve given a lot of responses, but what I keep trying to make sure they understand is that I do get scared, and I face fears just like them. If they don’t see me scared, it is probably more because I’m better at hiding it than anything else ☺️. However, I tried to also point them to the fact that as Christians we can face fears by looking not at our circumstances or concerns, but at Jesus. Are you afraid right now? Read this verse again. “4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”

 Now, look at verse 5.  “5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” I know I spent a while in that first verse, so I will try to be more concise moving forward. Nonetheless, this is truly a beautiful truth here. This is pointing to us as new creations in Christ. Notice two key aspects here. First, let’s look at this idea of radiance. 

This seems to point to some kind of visible change from having met with Him and being His. I immediately thought about young love here. We have all seen this and many have experienced what it’s like to be first in love with someone. It changes you. You kind of have this glow about you and nothing else in the world can pop that bubble. Though I might make fun of teenagers going through this, I know first hand that when you experience being loved and return that love in equal measure, it’s something incredibly special. That’s what is being pointed to here…. times infinity! We’re given this new identity and there is no longer room for shame as we have been cleansed of all unrighteousness and called children of the One True King! 

I really wanted to lay that foundation clearly, so I will try to hit this next sub-point a bit quicker. Once we have this new identity→ 

Remembering Who We Are & Who He Is Drives Our Proper Perspective. Look at verse 6. “6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.” This is a man who has been shown tremendous favor. God has chosen him to lead Israel, and despite Saul’s attempts to kill him, the nation as a whole views him as a great hero. Nonetheless, he has the proper perspective on his position. He is a poor man who needs rescued. Just like me. Just like you. And→ 

“7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.” Oh, this is awesome. He’s weak and in need, but he has the proper perspective on God’s power too! He is in need, and God surrounds those who seek Him and relievers them. This is a beautiful picture of what Jesus does for those who love Him.

Which brings us to this call to, again, experience this for ourselves. This verse is one of the most recognizable portions of this particular psalm, and it’s such a wonderful admonition. “8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” It’s a call to come and experience his goodness for yourself. To taste and then see that He is good! Don’t take my word for it. I heard a pastor connect this verse to “Green Eggs and Ham”. And before you think I’m being sacrilegious, here me out. Throughout the whole book, Sam I Am is trying to convince this man to try green eggs and ham. He presents it to the guy in many different locations and keeps asserting that it’s great, but the guy just categorically refuses to accept it. But toward the end Sam I Am says, “You do not like them. So you say. Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you may, I say.” If you’ve read the book, you know where I’m going next. The guy relents and tries them...and lo’ and behold, he loves them! What made the difference? He tasted and saw. David is giving us the same call here. Come and see for yourself that God is good. 

And, he keeps going...but we’ll cover that next week. ☺️ For now, let’s circle back quickly to where this psalm then started. You can face fear & shame when your life is defined by His goodness, and→ 

II. This Will Then Result In A Desire To Continually Praise

I won’t keep you much longer. Let’s just walk through this. “1 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” When your identity is in Him, praise will be your lifestyle! “2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.” I don’t boast in my own accomplishments but only in who He is and what He’s done! And, along the way I want to encourage others to do the same, especially those in need of encouragement. The word humble here could be translated as “weak, lowly, or afflicted” as well, so this is a picture of encouraging the weak to raise their eyes up to their Savior. And that is supported by this last verse here→ “3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!” When this is our lives, it will result in an overflowing desire. We’ll want to see Him lifted up by the multitudes. That should be the heart of our church to see more and more come to this saving relationship. 

TAKEAWAYS

1. Have you experienced His goodness?
2. Are you letting His goodness define you? Or are you letting the things of this world do that? 
3. How eager are you to see Him praised?

PONDERING... Are You Afraid? (Psalm 23)

VIDEO

Are You Afraid? (AM Sermon Notes)

GIST: We have no reason to fear if we belong to Jesus— who comforts us as a loving shepherd and pursues us as a relentlessly good host! 

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 23 

The psalm we’re coming to this morning is probably the most famous Old Testament passage in the Bible. These words are familiar to church attendees and atheists alike. They really need no introduction, so let’s just open by reading these powerful words.

"1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

There are so many ways to work through this most beautiful psalm. In fact, I don’t know if anyone remembers this or not, but I preached a two-parter on it two summers ago when I was still the interim pastor. At that time, we were considering what the Bible teaches us about facing trials and hardships. This morning, I want to focus our attention on what is probably the most recognizable line from this very famous passage—“4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me…”(emphasis added). 

There is a reason this psalm has been a source of comfort to many heartbroken people for thousands of years. In fact, where do you hear this psalm quoted most? At funerals. However, this is not primarily a psalm about death, though there is undoubtedly encouragement for Christians who die, it’s primarily encouragement for the living, those of us who are actively walking through valleys and seeing our enemies surrounding us and experiencing hunger and thirst. This is for those of us who are facing… fear. As a dad, when I think of fear, I think about when my kids call me in to their rooms at night and ask me to pray for Jesus to take all the “scary stuff away”. I also think about the paralyzing fear of seeing one of those sweet babies being taken away in an ambulance and being powerless to help. Fear is an experience we’ve all had and will continue to face. But, living in fear is sinful. Don’t hear me wrong. It’s natural to be afraid when terrifying and devastating things occur, but allowing fear to remain and reign in your heart when you know God is bigger is sin because it’s a failure to fully trust Him. So, the gist I want to point to this morning is this: We have no reason to fear if we belong to Jesus— who comforts us as a loving shepherd and pursues us as a relentlessly good host! (The second part will make more sense as we move forward!) Let’s dive in!

I. JESUS IS THE LOVING SHEPHERD

My Shepherd (1a). “1The LORD is my shepherd;” This opening line is deeply personal and incredibly humbling. David doesn’t say God is “a shepherd”, or even generally “the shepherd of His people”. He refers to God as his. We can too. We don’t deserve this. It isn’t “our due”. Yet, He does love us like this...and it’s amazing. Being a shepherd is dirty work. You spend all your time with stinky, stupid sheep which are dependent on you for every bit of their survival. Yet, that’s exactly what Jesus has done for us. He’s chosen to not only pour out His love for us by taking on Hell in our place and rising from the dead (as if that were not enough), but He also continues to guide us day by day. That’s what this psalm continues to point to actually→  

Peace Provided and Needs Met (1b-2) “...I shall not want.  2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” This picture is beautiful. The sheep are led to rich pastures...and are lying down. Sheep don’t lie down to eat. In fact, from what I’ve read, they only lie down when they are both full and feel perfectly safe. If they’re hungry, they’ll be standing up eating. If they’re afraid, they’ll be up and watchful. These sheep are lying down. They’ve been fed and feel protected by the shepherd. The same thought is communicated in the idea of “still waters”. Sheep don’t drink from fast moving waters. Apparently, it is actually dangerous for them. They aren’t really strong swimmers and only do so if necessary for survival. In fact, when their wool gets wet, they get heavy...and tend to sink. Because of this, it was common for shepherds to actually dam up creeks to create “still waters” for their sheep to drink in peace. 

Here’s the point being expressed here→since Jesus is my Shepherd, I have everything I need. He’s taking care of me, and I trust Him. Do we live like that? David’s not done yet either. In the next verse, we see even more→ 

Provision, Protection, and Spiritual Guidance (3) “3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” If you remember anything from the last time we covered this passage, it’s probably this part. At least, it’s one of the parts that’s stuck with me most. From what I’ve studied, this “restores my soul” reference is still part of the sheep-shepherd metaphor. “Sheep are built in such a way that if they fall over on their side and then onto their back, it is very difficult for them to get up again...After a few hours on their backs, gas begins to collect in their stomachs, the stomach hardens, the air passage is cut off, and the sheep will eventually suffocate” (Williams). This position is referred to as being cast or cast down. Shepherds are definitely aware of this and watch their sheep diligently. If one is found in this position, they will immediately flip it back over and literally restore its life.

But we can definitely see the spiritual implication here as well, and the next part of the verse leaves not doubt. Jesus does the same for us. Not only has He saved us and, therefore, given us life, but He is there to pick us back up when we’ve fallen victim to complacency. He restores our souls, by leading us in paths of righteousness--His paths...where we should have been in the first place, instead of laying on our backs filled with our own hot air! Why? Yes, because He loves us like a good shepherd, but this verse tells it’s for His name’s sake. We’re His witnesses to the world. He’s chosen not only to love us, but to use us. He doesn’t want us to fall! He wants us to stand firm for Him. It’s easy to feel like your living this Christian journey on your own, but you’re not. You were never meant to; you can’t. But the overcomer is right there with you guiding and equipping you! So, you can be→ 

Fearless in the Face of Fear (4) “4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Notice the point of view shift here. David goes from talking about God, to speaking directly with Him. This is so awesome. Like I said, it’s the most famous part of the psalm. I just want to point out a few things here. This valley of the shadow of death is something we pass through. The picture isn’t of someone stuck in darkness, but walking through it. 

Man, I feel like we could camp out so much here, but I don’t want to start rambling. I want to be clear. If you’re saved, bad stuff is going to happen. You’re going to face heartbreak and devastation because you’re still living in a broken world. In fact, it might even be harder for you because you’re going to be trying to stand for Jesus in a world that’s standing for itself. BUT, here’s the beautiful truth. You don’t have to run terrified in the valleys or crouch in fear. You can walk through what is merely a shadow of death because you’re walking beside the One who conquered death for you! We don’t face fear bravely because we have it all together. We face fear bravely because we’re standing next to Jesus!

And look at how He is comforting us in these dark hours. He has a rod and a staff. The rod was used by shepherds to fight off wild beasts, and the staff was used to direct the sheep— to bring back those silly animals who were prone to just wander aimlessly! Jesus has already defeated sin for us and continues to fight on our behalf as He leads us where we need to be. AMEN! That’s comfort.

II. JESUS IS THE RELENTLESSLY GOOD HOST

The imagery in the second half of the psalm shifts to that of a host welcoming a guest. As with the first, the picture is incredible. First, it shows us we’re→ 

Accepted in the Struggle (5a) “5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil;” Hospitality is becoming a bit of a lost art here in America. We simply don’t spend as much time welcoming people into our homes as we used to. Still, I think we can see what’s being said here. To spread a table was to welcome someone into your home as part of the family. It was giving them a place of belonging, showing them they were wanted. What’s so incredible to me here is that God is the one spreading this table. He is showing us that He wants us...and it happens in the presence of our enemies! This is reality! Enemies surround us. Life is hard. Life is broken. You might face a new trial every day. BUT, He’s spreading the table nonetheless. See, in case we missed it before we’re clearly reminded here that being a Christian doesn’t take hardships away, but it provides joy in the midst of them!

Then we have this picture of our heads being anointed with oil...which we don’t do now. However, when I think of anointing with oil in the OT, I usually think about anointing kings and priests. It was a sign of God’s presence being on them--the Holy Spirit working in their lives. It seems it was also customary at this time for hosts to anoint the heads of their guests, symbolizing the same type of blessing. It was a sign of the highest love and respect. It was literally like saying, “may you be filled with the Holy Spirit”. And when Jesus does it for us… it is filling us with the Holy Spirit! It is God working in us and through us...even when we’re surrounded by our enemies! Talk about comfort! And...it gets even better. Not only are we accepted, but we’re→ 

Welcome Forever (5b) “...my cup overflows.” This picture blows my mind. I’ll let Max Lucado explain what the filling of cups symbolized. “Hosts in the ancient East used it to send a message to the guest. As long as the cup was kept full, the guest knew he was welcome. But when the cup sat empty, the host was hinting that the hour was late. On those occasions, however, when the host really enjoyed the company of the person, he filled the cup to overflowing. He didn’t stop when the wine reached the rim; he kept pouring until the liquid ran over the edge of the cup and down on the table.  (Lucado, Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear, 137). 

Let this sink in for a second. Jesus prepares a table for us, and wants us to stay. Now, hold that thought because the psalm ends with a picture of us being→ 

Relentlessly Pursued…Eternally! (6) “6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” The word translated follow here means to pursue. This is an awesome picture. Because God is our shepherd who welcomes us as His children goodness and mercy will chase after us while we’re here on earth, and we will enjoy His presence forever in Heaven! We need this perspective. Today might be hard on the outside, but is Jesus not still the overcomer who has chosen to pursue you His with grace? He is, so we have nothing to fear! 

TAKEAWAYS

Let’s just wrap up with a few quick takeways here. 

1. Fear is natural, but living in fear is sinful. Living consumed by fear is living actively doubting God. Remember→ 

2. Jesus is the loving provider. If you miss everything else this morning, don’t miss this. This psalm is one of comfort because it reminds us how passionately God loves us. We like to hear this, but must remember, this love isn’t what we deserve. We deserve His wrath. We’re sinful people who haven’t earned His favor. He loves us...because He’s awesome. And because of this unmerited love, we can face whatever comes our way. A few weeks ago, I was listening to a preacher talk about how fellow believers had tried to use fear to stop him from giving to God. There were things he knew he needed to do, but well-meaning Christians told him not to take the risk. They’d say things like, “Yes, but you have a family now,” or “Yes, but your circumstances are different than...fill in the blank.” I love his response. He basically said, “My circumstances might change, but my God does not.” No matter where you are in life, God is still the good shepherd! And→ 

3. You were made to be His sheep. I’ve heard a story several times about an actor and minister both reciting this psalm at a dinner party. The actor’s voice was beautiful and his inflections were perfection. When he was done, everyone applauded. When the minister spoke, his voice was more feeble, and he stuttered over his words. Yet, when he was done, everyone was weeping. When someone was asked what made the difference, they replied, “The first knew the psalm, but the second knew the shepherd.” If this all seems foreign to you today, do you know the shepherd? Because, you can. Jesus came and died and rose again to save you. You were made for this. If you believe in Him, seek His forgiveness, and give Him control of your life, you will be saved. Don’t live in fear; come to the shepherd!

PONDERING...(Fear) Sources of Anxiety and The Meaning of Life

Disclaimer: This series of posts reserves the right to impact the writer more than the reader.

In a previous post, I touched on the meaning of life as explained in the Bible (God's Holy Word). In the posts to follow, I want to consider what the Bible says about a few things that distract us from this center, and draw us into anxiety. 

1. The Problem: Fear

In general, fear can be defined as anticipation of known or possible harm. There are many things that cause us to be afraid. From startling noises to job security, fear comes in various forms, and, if allowed, can consume our lives.

2. The Bible

"7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." - 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

This was said in the context of Timothy encountering spiritual trials. He is admonished not to cower or be afraid, but to live according to his calling and use his spiritual gifts. All Christians face fear. Living out your faith (this precious gift of God) will result in persecution (John 15:16-27 and 16:33). Nonetheless, we are to stand strong--not because we have power, love and self-control, but because the Holy Spirit, who abides within us, is power, love, and self-control!

"25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6:25-33 ESV

I mentioned in a previous post that I think about this passages a lot. I do not bring them up again to be redundant, but because I need reminded of them daily. So much fear & anxiety comes just from not knowing what to do next. However, God clearly teaches us to seek His face and let Him take care of the details. Letting go is not as easy and immediately liberating as Princess Elsa would like us to believe. It can be terrifying. Yet, who is more capable of handling your life--limited you or sovereign God?

"26 "So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." - Matthew 10:26-31 ESV

This passage is addressing spiritual persecution that leads to fear for one's life. This would seem to be a circumstance worthy of fear. Truly, this is terrifying. The passage does not make light of that. Nevertheless, Jesus puts even this situation into perspective. Even losing your life is nothing compared to Hell. Death, to a Christian, is to be with God. It is not to be feared. In context, this passage also alludes to the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf.


Fear causes much anxiety. Nonetheless, consider the words of Christ to His disciples: "33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."" - John 16:33 NIV

Ponder, pray, and propagate your perceptions.

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