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Psalm 34:4,5
More Difficulty, More Praise
Praise in the Midst of Difficulty
God's Grace
As it says in Psalm 107, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
[and so we see your love every day in the myriad of provisions and protections you pour out upon us; we can see, hear, speak, walk, work and write. You give us food, shelter, health, community and sleep, among many others wonderful gifts.]
“Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,”
[You, Lord Jesus, have certainly redeemed us from the hand of Satan, from the hand of sin, from the hands of evil men. You are our Savior, Shepherd and Sustainer. Praise be to you forever and ever.]
“those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.”
[Thank you, Lord, that you work in people everywhere, opening their eyes, giving them the desire for truth, bringing them your Word. You are the true, loving God, gracious to all, forgiving to all those who come.]
“Some wandered in desert wastelands,”
[when we reject your truth, go our own way, we dwell in dry and parched lands of our own making, far from the green pastures you have for us.]
“finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.”
[In our own path we go from one bad decision to the next. We search for sustenance and find none, we grow weaker and weaker. Everything goes downhill because we are far from your way.]
“Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,”
[When they finally saw that their way was not good, that their wisdom was insufficient, that their strength was too little, then they cried out to you.]
“and he delivered them from their distress.”
[You, Lord, in your goodness were right there, waiting for them to come to their senses, to see their need, to cry out to you. You were ready to help as soon as they were ready to receive.]
“He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.”
[You, Lord, know the way and are very willing, eager to lead us by it, if only we would follow. You give us wisdom, insight, security and community, all we need to prosper.]
“Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love”
[and truly it is unfailing as you wait and wait for us to repent of our selfish, stubborn independence. You don’t give up, you are patient, persistence and prepared.]
“and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”
[What you have for us is beyond good, it is wonderful, marvelous, awesome, great. You, Lord, have only good for us, satisfying our thirst for love and forgiveness, our hunger for relationship, reality and meaning. You know our needs, for you are our Creator; you are able to supply our needs, for you are infinite; you are willing to supply our needs, for you are good. Praise be to you, both now and forever.]
God's Gifts Part 2
Gifts Part One
The Power of Little Choices
The Gospel for Who?
Help in Darkness
More on Trust
More thoughts on this passage.
Psalm 62:6 “[The Lord] alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.”
[This is an exact copy of verse 2, a repetition of the truth of where real security is found, and if I seek refuge there, I will not be shaken, no matter how traumatic the events.]
Psalm 62:7 “My salvation and my honor depend on God;”
[We so naturally seek our salvation in our own efforts, and our honor from the opinions of others. However, both our salvation and our honor actually depend fully on God, not on us or others.
He has provided salvation for eternity, and for every day; we know where we are going, and we know He is with us in the nitty gritty events of life, protecting, guiding and providing.
He is the One who has already given us great honor–making us children of the Creator of the Universe, granting us membership in the Kingdom of light, giving us each a special part in His plan. What else could we desire? Yet we stubbornly tend to seek our salvation and honor elsewhere. Forgive us, Lord, help us to seek salvation and honor only from you.]
“he is my mighty rock, my refuge.”
[The unshakable, unassailable, unconquerable God is the One to be trusted. When all else seems to fall apart, He is there, unchanging, reliable, good, wise and sure.]
Psalm 62:8 “Trust in him at all times, O people;”
[There is that command again: “Trust!” When we trust, we can rest. And this is possible all the time because God is always there in His goodness and grace. You, Lord, are sufficient, you are faithful, you are absolutely trustable.]
“pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”
[Lord, It is right, good and necessary to pour out before you all our fears, desires, feelings and thoughts. When our heart is emptied of these, with the Spirit’s help we can fill it with Truth and Trust. Then we are safe in your refuge.
You will never reject us for being honest with you—you know all about us already—and you are delighted when we are open, transparent and truthful with you. You desire to be our refuge, you call us to yourself, and in you we are safe.]
Help us, Lord God, to trust in you more and more, to find our rest, our refuge, our salvation, our honor, our safety, our joy in you. You are worthy of trust, you are worthy of praise, you are worthy of worship. May my life give you honor and glory today as I trust in you alone.