New Praise Psalms 34:8 March 31, 2010

I don’t suppose, you have ever done something that was totally out of character. Nor do I suppose that you acted so differently that people almost failed to recognize you. Not based solely on your appearance but on your behavior, as well.

Of course I’m being ironic, but for  reason.

Life is filled with many, many unexpected circumstances, a variety of new situations that can reveal themselves at any moment. Some of these problems we cause for ourselves and others of these are the machinations of those around us. Doesn’t matter that much who or how. What matters a great deal however is our response n these times.

Here is a man anointed to be king, yet he is running for his life. He lives from moment to moment, from day-to-day. Yet he has surely been anointed as Israel’s next king. How I asked, can a man be favored by God, anointed by God and yet be running for his life ? How can a man be set aside for God’s own use and yet be in such grave trouble that he has to hide in caves and live on the run ?

David has run so much until he has run out of places to hide, he has run out of favors from friends, he has run out of places of safety. And now he is DESPERATE.

Desperation comes from despair being so overwhelmed because of the circumstances that you will do anything to have them resolved. This was exactly where David was in his life, in such despair that he was willing to do whatever he could to survive. But oftentimes while desperate we act reckless. We act without planning or thinking. But the other side of that is that most times desperation becomes a necessary ingredient to learning very, very valuable lessons.

His running has stripped him of all of his friends, because he could not put them in danger. His dignity seems to be waning  nd now he finds himself standing in front of a sinful and godless king who could surely have him killed.

The only way out is to act crazy, to act as if he is completely insane. He spits on himself, h pulls at his own hair and screams like a madman for the future king of Israel to come to this must mean that he is at the end of rope.

But on thing never changes. His praise. When he reflects on this particular circumstance while writing this psalm he understand that what he ultimately thinks and feels about  God has not changed.

The circumstances are dire. Yes. The situation is embarrassing. Yes. But is od still God ? Yes.

He says that his Praise. Singular -his main idea about God , his main focus concerning the Lord. That never changes.

What is learned is that sometimes the only thing that you have left is a Praise. And this leads to praises.

He goes on to say “I sought the Lord” . Even in light of the desperation. Even faced with despair I sense enough of him to look fo him.

He probably didn’t realize this until after e got out of the presence of te king but the fact of the matter is that his desperation led him to another level of reality regarding God.

One that says”no matter what happens he is still God and he still the only one that can save me , help m and deliver me.

Every hopeless situation that we encounter brings this point up stronger in ou lives. Every desperate circumstance that we experience causes us to realize this more and more . And with each trying time be sure to leave the experience with a NEW PRAISE.

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~ by awordgiver on May 27, 2010.