The Goodness of God
Psalms 34
Greeting-
Good morning everyone, Isn’t God good!
I am Happy that you are here with us as we open His Word together on this Memorial Day weekend.
We are blessed people when you think of those that gave the ultimate sacrifice so that you and I might be able to sit freely wherever we are at and hear God’s Word without someone breaking into our home and dragging us off to prison.
Why even those that don’t believe in God have been given the same freedom to not believe because someone has given them that freedom.
In a time of such unrest, I am constantly reminded that there are still a lot of heroes.
I cannot help but think of someone else who paid the ultimate sacrifice that I might have a choice wither I will serve the Lord and accept the sacrifice He made for each of us.
Jesus I thank you for the freedom to worship and the freedom of serving you.
You are a good, good God!
Prayer-
Father, today we take time to say thank you for your goodness to each and everyone of us. We are living in some challenging times but I say thank you for loving us and providing for us and allowing your presence to be our strength and power in a time of unrest and instability. I am glad you are the rock that holds us together and you are our ever present help in times like these. Take time this morning to speak to each of us that know your goodness and offer up to you worship and praise. In Jesus Name Amen.
If you would turn to Psalm 34- we are going to read the broken and sincere words of King David at a dark time in his life.
Anyone been broken by life?
Had things not go according to plan?
Been discouraged, disappointed, betrayed, lonely, shamed or embarrassed?
Psalm 34-
King Abimelech is hot on the trial of King David
The Great King David who killed thousands against King Saul went into hiding.
“After he was recognized by the Philistines, he panicked and pretended to have gone crazy. He pounded his head against the city gates and foamed at the mouth, spit dripping from his beard. The king said Don’t you think I have enough crazy people to put up with as it is without adding another? Get him out of here!”
David was let go and went into the hills to hide.
It was in the hills and the cave that the Lord began to speak to him and minister to him.
It was dark before it got light.
The great man of God in the first 10 verses of this Psalm is writing a hymn unto the Lord and the last 12 verses are a sermon to each of us.
For some of us these last several months have been and are dark times and we feel like the enemy of our soul is right at our heel. Believe me, I know what it feels like to be in the shadow of death and have things coming at you from all sides. When you feel like hiding in a cave and not wanting to deal with all that is going on.
Christian pastor, author and speaker Ravi Zecharias passed away and not much has been said by the national media. A great man of God that literally has shared the gospel with millions of people. He has heard the encouraging words of Jesus “Well done good and faithful servant”
The older I get, the more I see people that have ministered to me are going home.
I watch my loved ones age and struggle in health and with Covid-19.
They now have a diagnosis called Covid-19 PTSD.
When anxiety issues push you past comfortable and take you to dangerous levels- where do you turn? Who or what do you lean on?
Society has a tendency to push us to temporary fixes.
Take a pill for it, drink alcohol to numb it or get rid of it and start new.
I believe in new starts and I believe in a God of second and third chances, but repeated new starts are a red flag.
As a person of faith- who do you turn too? Who are you leaning on?
I think David can help us see some important lessons of our faith.
When you are in a dark place- Get your praise on (Repeat)
Passion Translation
“Lord, I’m bursting with joy over what you’ve done for me! My lips are full of perpetual praise. I’m boasting of you and all your works, so let all who are discouraged take heart. Join me everyone! Let’s praise the Lord together. Let’s make him famous! Let’s make his name glorious to all.”
David wrote this Psalm at a low point in his life!
He was alone.
He had lost his best friend Jonathan and he was being chased by Saul and His assassins.
Now he was in a cave, and begins praising the Lord.
I don’t know what you came to do, but I came to praise the Lord!
Sometimes you have to praise when it does not make any sense to praise.
Sometimes when you don’t feel like it is the time that the presence of God becomes so strong because in our brokenness, we see God’s power!
I don’t know what your dark spot is and where you are at with the Lord, but I know that praise may not immediately change your circumstance but it will immediate change your attitude.
I don’t know about you but praise isn’t always the first thing on my mind when I am in trouble… but it should be and when it is not must be refocused to be the first thing.
When it is the darkest, you have to remember that it will not last forever!
Joy will come in the morning- a little bit of light takes away the darkness.
It cannot be dark if there is light.
It may not be good for the moment but it cannot be dark if there is light.
The Bible says… “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6).
Remember who you are in Christ and who is dwelling in you.
Praise brings access to God. Therefore, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4). Take a step of faith and watch God’s presence come!
Acts 16, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns and the prison bars began to come down.
Some of us need a jail break to get us refocused.
Some of us need a get out of jail free card but we don’t have a get out of jail free and the only way to get one is to offer up praise that will bring down what is keeping you in.
Praise is where God lives. Wait a minute, isn’t God omnipresent – everywhere, all the time? Absolutely! Yet His presence is especially intense in an atmosphere of praise. The Bible says God is “Enthroned upon the praises of Israel” God inhibits our praise (Psalm 22:3).
Praise promotes Kingdom works.
When we are praising God and lifting the name of Jesus, we are open to hear what God has to say to us as much or more than what we are going to say to God.
Praise get us thinking right-
Jack Taylor’s commentary in his book The Hallelujah Factor. “When we praise, productivity is maximized, fulfillment is realized and frustration is neutralized”
Praise chases away despair. There’s no better way to beat the blues than to change our focus from self to God. Such a shift produces “the oil of gladness instead of mourning” (Isaiah 61:3).
When in a dark spot, Praise is an effective weapon against the devil.
God does our fighting for us when we cannot see the enemy.
We operate by faith and not by sight. When it is dark and you cannot see does not mean that God is not working.
“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, and against the powers of this dark word and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.”
When we have done everything we know to do… stand firm!
I firmly believe Satan gets upset when God’s people are praising the Lord.
Satan, who was once God’s worship leader in heaven got kicked out of heaven, hates that God’s people are praising Him! Isaiah 14
He has hated praise ever since because of its reminder of what he gave up and can’t regain.
“Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
Wither or not you are in a dark spot God is worthy of our praise.
“The Lord is great and worthy of our praise”
Listen to the words of David in praise of his God
Passion translation 34:6-7
“When I had nothing-desperate and defeated, I cried out to the Lord and he heard me, bringing his miracle-deliverance when I needed it most. The angels stooped down to listen as I prayed, encircling me, empowering me, and showing me how to escape. They will do this for everyone who fears God.”
While it’s obviously good to praise and encourage those around us, God alone deserves our heartfelt worship and supreme allegiance.
He gives us an invitation to praise the Lord.
When you want to change your feelings, you have to change the focus!
Close-
What praise does-
Praise changes the way you worship and the way you pray- it bring God into the scene of our lives- We need that more than ever!
Praise is the language of faith- Faithful people bring praise to the faithful one of their faith.
Let’s just praise the Lord! It brings solution and it brings us closer to God.
Praise is the key to inner peace when the world is trying to shut us down and destroy us.
The enemy will try to distract you and slow you down- but when you get your praise on!
Push through those negative thoughts and allow the Holy Spirit to take you to worship and praise!
Praise brings walls down!
It beats frustration, failure, sickness, shame, negativity, and the enemy has to flee!
Praise is a game changer!
Invitation to praise
Foundation of praise
Goodness of God
