Summer In The Psalms: Psalm 34 (Part 2) Series

We are to diligently and resolutely seek to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bonds of peace.

I led a Bible study in Mississippi for two guys. Lane and Stu. Stu wasn’t a Christian but he attended every week and seemed to enjoy the community. Lane and I were praying for Stu to be born again.

I was young and headstrong and so was Lane, and we got into an intense argument about something that I don’t even remember.

Stu called me and asked if we were still going to have bible study and I assured him that we would.

I asked Lane to come a little early and we sat down and made peace. By the time Stu walked in, we were laughing together.

Stu sat down and was dumbfounded. He said, “I don’t get it. I thought you guys were mad at each other.” Lane laughed and said, “Oh we were!” Stu said, “What happened?”

I said, “We talked it through and made peace. It’s what Christians do.”

Stu said that he never saw that in his house growing up and he asked us to teach him how to make peace and pursue it. And, of course, while we did, we shared with him how Jesus made peace between God and us!

Not much later, Stu was saved and Lane and I rejoiced.

Spurgeon wrote:

“Pay to God humble child-like reverence, walk in His ways, have respect for His will, tremble to offend Him, and haste to serve Him…fear God and fear nothing else.”

Why? Because God is Near

David moves on and answers the question “Why should we live out our fear and reverence for the Lord?”

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.

One of the critiques of Christianity that atheist Christopher Hitchens was fond of making was that God was like a “1984 Big Brother eye-in-the-sky dictator (like the surveillance state in North Korea) that is just itching for us to get out of line so He can smite us with a bolt of lightning.

How sad that he died with that view of God.

We know that God is not a human who has “eyes or ears.” What this means is that God is watching over us to guide and protect us.

I used to speak at a camp in Cedar Lake, Indiana. One of the leaders of the camp was a beautiful Nigerian soul named Sinusi. His kids were always running around the camp and one of them, Ashton, will compete in Paris next week in Olympic wrestling!

They had a fund-raiser and Ashton’s entire family will be in the stands in Paris cheering him on.

When Ashton looks into the stands that day, his father's eyes will watch him with beams of joy and pride.

Just like God watches over His children!

But for those who do not fear the Lord, who do not surrender their will and ways to His lordship, God’s attention will not be turned toward them in blessing but turned away from them in judgment.

David says that God will cut off their name from the earth. This Hebrew word is strong. It means to “repel, exile, estrange, to finally and unspeakably ignore.”

But the righteous are assured that He hears our cries for help: