Checking God Out For Onself - Therapeutic! (Psalm 34:7-10) Series

MAKING MUSIC FROM SHARPS AND FLATS IN LIFE

Sermons Based on Selected Psalms

Psalms Sermon VI – Psalm 34:7-10

David the shepherd lad who became King of Israel was a music maker. He played a harp – the most popular instrument in Old Testament times. The Book of Psalms is a collection of his compositions inspired by both his life experiences and his majestic moments with the Lord God.

As a sheep herder, the boy David became fascinated with the wonders of the out of doors even as he became familiar with the uniqueness of sheep.

As the one chosen by Samuel to be crowned the next king of Israel, David had no choice but to sharpen his defensive battle skills when Saul threatened his life; he had demonstrated his skills as a shepherd lad when he defended his sheep from the attack of wolves, and when he defended his family by killing their enemy Goliath with one stone fired by his slingshot.

David’s favor with God and the people worsened King Saul’s insanity, making him so blindly jealous that he made David the target of a relentless campaign to destroy the king-to-be.

David won the battle; but, more importantly, he won the hearts of the people because he had won the heart of the Lord God who had chosen him.

As king, David ruled righteously in accordance with God’s will; Israel enjoyed the golden years of their history during David’s reign.

Yet, as a man, David sinned; however, as a sinner, he was aware of his need for God’s forgiveness; as a forgiven child of God, he courageously accepted God’s punishment; as one who suffered the consequence of sinning against God, he also accepted the challenge of rebuilding his life for God.

As a Psalmist, David’s innermost thoughts - expressed in the verses of his poetry - have become the greatest collection of spiritual nuggets the world has ever known.

From a lifetime of positive and negative experiences, David has become our hero for making music out of the sharps and flats in life.

Any musician knows that it takes both to make good music. It takes the positives (the sharps) and the negatives (the flats). Arrange them in such a way that they blend into chords, orchestrate the chords into a harmonious melody, and what you get is a work of art that is pleasing to the ear.

Life is like that. The isolated sound of a sharp or the lonesome sound of a flat does nothing for the spirit. Get it all together in conformity with THE Great Composer’s divine plan for our lives, and what you have is harmonious living that is pleasing not only to God but to others as well.

These devotional messages, based on the Book of Psalms, are intended to draw from David’s orchestration of the sharps and flats in his life to help us make music from the sharps and flats in our own lives. Selah.

Psalm 34:7-10 . . .

David’s hymns of praise have inspired people through the centuries not only because of the beauty of the poetry but more so because the psalmist was reflecting on his own personal experiences of getting to know God better through the “ups and downs” in his life.

Not one of us can say that life has been a “bed of roses” or that we have never had to deal with problems associated with human weaknesses.

There have been good times; there have been bad times; no one can say that life has always been good; nor can anyone say that life has always been bad. Most of us will admit that life has been like a “roller coaster” ride.

David’s entire life was filled with mixed emotional experiences – good and bad. His rise to the throne was nothing short of a miracle; the victories he won as the “George Washington” of his day made him a champion of the people; yet he suffered defeats - not only in his role as king but also in his personal life.

David knew what it was like to sin against God and then to be forgiven when he repented.

Yes, he knew defeat on the battle field, but he also knew victory over the enemy; yes, he suffered the defeat of yielding to temptation, but he also discovered the joy of forgiveness.

In the psalms David put together one hymn after another that spoke of his personal victories over defeat. He painted word pictures of how the Lord of his life took the negatives and turned them into positives.

In this series of devotional messages, we are seeing how David mastered the art of making music out of the sharps and flats of life. Our souls are being nourished by David’s poems; we are being touched by the healing power of the Spirit of God. David’s words are so refreshing to all of us who need a word from the Lord.