To MAGNIFY GOD-VI—Psalm 34:8-10(:1-10)
[VBS Theme—‘Magnified’—Psalm 34:3]
Attention:
Suppose a young boy is accosted by neighborhood bullies in his own front yard.
From inside the house, Dad observes what is happening. He opens the front door & comes outside to encourage & support his son.
Upon witnessing the boy’s Dad, the bullies suddenly lose their ‘strength’ to bully anymore.
Dad’s ‘imposing presence’ alone, overcomes the ‘feeble abilities’ of the bullies.
Dad walks up behind his son & places his hands on his son’s shoulders. He whispers, don’t worry son, I’ve got your back.”
The son stares at the bullies with his meanest & most confident look.
The son throws his arms around his Daddy! Daddy is magnified!
Some Considerations:
•We can be guilty of casually regarding God’s glory.
•But we can also truly appreciate the ‘imposing presence’ of God in our lives.
*When we do NOT magnify & exalt God, then what we have done, is to allow ‘something else’ to TAKE HIS PLACE in our hurried life!
*The Church must Magnify, ‘make much of’, elevate, & exalt God, so that the imposing reality of His nature, character, & workings can be easily seen & understood by the world at large!
•So, God’s people, both individually & gathered, must MAGNIFY GOD!
Need:
By God’s design, every person of every era is able to, & SHOULD, personally ‘Magnify’, YHWH-God!
And so, by God’s design, every person is personally answerable to glorify God!
To MAGNIFY GOD-VI—Psalm 34:8-10(:1-10)
[VBS Theme—‘Magnified’—Psalm 34:3]
David was a recipient of YHWH-God’s protection(deliverance/rescue), & so David made much of & ‘magnified’ Him.
So simply stated:
God’s people magnify God.
But:
When do we truly magnify God?
When is God magnified in your life?
In verses :1-10 are found:
6 realities necessary for magnifying YHWH-God in your life.
In that last weeks we have been in Psalm 34,
And we’ve found that in order:
To Magnify God In Your Life, God must be...
1. BOAST-WORTHY To You(:1-2a)
2. SHARE-WORTHY To You(:2b-3)
3. FREEING To You(:4)
4. JOY-WORTHY To You(:5)
5. THANK-WORTHY To You(:6-7)
Today, we’ll discover that in order...
6—To Magnify God In Your Life, God must ALSO be...
PROVISIONAL To You(:8-10)
Explanation:(:8-10)Incomparable
:8a—“Oh, taste & see that the LORD is good;...”
The person who magnifies YHWH God in their life will readily & excitedly invite others to “taste” of “the LORD’s” “goodness” for themselves.
•Every one of our number, who has been saved from hell by God’s grace thru personal faith in Christ Jesus, has a ‘testimony’ as to how “good” God truly is. And so we always looking to offer that ‘born-again’ life to others. Such saved people implore others to “taste & see that the LORD is good.” Then you can freely share with others specifically HOW God has been “good” to you!
:8b—“Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”
Any person who takes hold of & clings to the truth “that the LORD is good”, is a “man”(or woman or child) who is “blessed” as a result of God’s “goodness.”
“Blessed” describes/characterizes any person(“man”, woman or child) “who” places their “trust in” YHWH God! AND, anyone that is “blessed” is a person upon whom God has extended His ‘favor’ & power.
•God’s ‘favor’ encompasses vastly more than what the ‘health-&-wealth’ preachers & congregations will tell you.
•Yes, God’s ‘favor’ CAN involve leading ‘SOME’ people thru the ‘CHALLENGES’ of financial gain....
•Yet, God’s ‘favor’ ALSO NECESSARILY involves ‘SUFFERING’ with & as Jesus ‘suffered’! And that ‘suffering’ is a vital part of the multiple challenges faced in & thru every true Christian’s faith...
•Rom. 8:16-17—“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, & if children, then heirs--heirs of God & joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
2Tim. 3:10-12—The apostle Paul mentoring young Timothy,—“But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, & all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
1Pet. 4:12-14—“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory & of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.”
:9a—“Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!...”
Those who are the ‘holy ones’(“saints”) of God, are exhorted/urged to “fear the LORD.”
•If you come from a Catholic tradition or from an area with a heavy Catholic influence, please know that “saints” are NOT merely those very few people who have been recognized by the Catholic church!
•A “saint” is biblically & actually ANYONE who has been declared ‘holy’ by & thru the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, by God’s grace, thru an individual’s personal faith!
The “saints” or ‘holy ones’ are encouraged to ‘recapture’ or revive their utter AWE of YHWH-God.
•But Why? do “saints” or ‘holy ones’ need such encouragement to “fear the LORD” if they’re already ‘holy’ or “saintly”?
•Because, as with any true “saint”, they/we/you & I, are ‘still prone to serve flesh’ & so, are prone to serve their own desires.
And so, they must be consistently reminded, thru various means, to return their desires to God. In doing so, “saints” express their ‘reverent’ “fear” of YHWH-God!
:9b—“There is no want to those who fear Him.”
And thru the “saint’s” “fear” of/in “Him”, they experience “no want.”
Ps. 23:1-6—“<<A Psalm of David.>> “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod & Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.”
God’s “saints” suffer “no” ‘spiritual’ deficiency or impoverishment! And that in itself gives every “saint” of God, the ability to overcome any obstacle that presents itself!
•That is because they trust(:8) in the One who wields all of His sovereign power within the confines of His absolute perfections regarding His love, care, & concern for mankind, His highest creation.
•Proof of that love, care, & concern is seen in the fact that, mankind was specifically made in YHWH-God’s own image(Gen. 1:27).
Properly approaching Almighty God, thru an open attitude of reverential awe, secures for the “saints” every ‘true need’ that they will ever encounter!
:10—“The young lions lack & suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.”
Even those “lions” that are “young” & full of vigor, energy, & ability, may “lack” their daily sustenance, because in their own physical strength & stamina, they are unable to acquire a meal.
And in contrast to such people that are AS “young lions”, “those who seek the LORD” NEVER go WITHOUT “any good.”
God continuously provides “good” for those who are His.
•It is not as if everything is always easy & care-free in a “saint’s”(:9) life... even in a life that’s been dedicated & fully committed to God.
•It is NOT as if there will can be NO evil that reaches you!...
*Rather, God will see you thru the evil, while you continue to stand firm in Christ. For every one of God’s people, God Himself will be with you thru all the pressures & difficulties you face.
Isa. 40:31—“But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run & not be weary, They shall walk & not faint.”
Isa. 43:1c-3a—YHWH-God to God’s people,—“...“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;...”
1Cor. 10:12-13—“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Argumentation:
Eph. 6:10-13—“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord & in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles[devious/cunning strategy to lure/entice] of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand.”
2Pet. 1:2-8, 10-11—“Grace & peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God & of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life & godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory & virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great & precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, & to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours & abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”.....“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call & election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.”
Job 38:39--39:4—YHWH queries Job,—“Can you hunt the prey for the lion, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, When they crouch in their dens, Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait? Who provides food for the raven, When its young ones cry to God, And wander about for lack of food? Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth? Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bear young? They bow down, They bring forth their young, They deliver their offspring. Their young ones are healthy, They grow strong with grain; They depart & do not return to them.”—God Provides!
Lk. 12:22-24—“Then He[Jesus] said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, & the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; & God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?”
Gen. 22:1-14—“Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, & said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, & go to the land of Moriah, & offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning & saddled his donkey, & took two of his young men with him, & Isaac his son; & he split the wood for the burnt offering, & arose & went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes & saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad & I will go yonder & worship, & we will come back to you.” So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering & laid it on Isaac his son; & he took the fire in his hand, & a knife, & the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father & said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire & the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there & placed the wood in order; & he bound Isaac his son & laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand & took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven & said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes & looked, & there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went & took the ram, & offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide[‘Jehovah-jireh’]; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided.”
Literally-=-“The Lord will see.” That is, God will ensure that in every thing, He will support those who trust in Him.
Illustration:
I enjoy watching ‘nature documentaries’ on television. Inevitably on any of them, there is a segment highlighting the maternal &/or paternal care of an animal’s ‘parental activities’ or the lack thereof.
I recently saw an episode that revealed the life of a certain species of penguin that nests in New Zealand. They are birds that cannot fly, but they nest up high in the rocky crags that rise abruptly from the seashore. Their nesting struggles are enormous. In order to protect their one or two chicks, one of the parents has to provide food for the chicks, while the other stays behind to protect the chicks from being eaten by other species of marauding sea birds. Neither of the penguins—adult or chicks—will eat while the other goes to find food. The ‘provider’ adult can be gone for days at a time. Only after ‘the provider’ returns with food for the chicks, is the ‘protector’ adult free to go in search of food for itself & also for the chicks.
*God must be...PROVISIONAL To You!
YHWH-God is your Protector & Provider!
Application:
?Is YHWH-God PROVISIONAL To You?
?Are YOU someone by & in whom God is MAGNIFIED?
?Do YOU MAGNIFY God in your life/living?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Recall that just as the bullies scattered when faced with Daddy’s imposing strength, & love for his own son so...
...The Church must faithfully Magnify, ‘make much of’, elevate, & exalt God, so that the reality of His nature, character, & workings can be easily seen & understood by the world at large!
•And so, God’s people, will & must MAGNIFY GOD!
Action:
To Magnify God In Your Life, God must be...
6. PROVISIONAL To You(:8-10)
1. BOAST-WORTHY To You(:1-2a)
2. SHARE-WORTHY To You(:2b-3)
3. FREEING To You(:4)
4. JOY-WORTHY To You(:5)
5. THANK-WORTHY To You(:6-7)
Pnt# 6 only! presented 07/20/2025am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
Pnt# 2 only! presented 06/08/2025am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
Pnt# 1 only! presented 06/15/2025am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
Pnt# 3 only! presented 06/22/2025am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
Pnt# 4 only presented 07/06/2025am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
Pnt# 5 only! presented 07/13/2025am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
