Turning Life’s Noise Into Praise Series

Today, I want to speak to you about Turning Life’s Noise into Praise. We finish a small family series highlighting four attitudes that should saturate every home.

Today, I want to talk to you about raising the praise level in your home. Find Psalm 34 with me, if you will.

Psalm 34 is specifically designed to flip your fear into praise. There’s a story behind Psalm 34. Many of you know about David killing Goliath and David serving as king, but do you know that David pretended to be insane for a while? Yes, this entire psalm is connected to when David acted like he was crazy (1 Samuel 21:10–15). David earnestly acted crazy to save his life.

The OddFather

I’ll tell you more about David in a moment, but this episode in David’s life reminded me of a mafia story from a couple of decades ago. You’ve heard of The Godfather, but do you know the story of “The OddFather”? Gangster Vincent Louis Gigante went by many nicknames, including “The Chin, “The OddFather,” and “The Enigma in the Bathrobe.” Vincent acted crazy in an effort to throw law enforcement off his trail. He would wander the streets of Greenwich Village in his bathrobe and slippers, mumbling incoherently to himself. Yes, this mafia boss wandered the streets of New York in an elaborate performance of insanity. His lawyers presented reports from psychiatrists at his trial that he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. During this period, he talked to parking meters and urinated in the street. His family was an integral part of the ruse, especially his younger brother, Louis, who was a Roman Catholic priest. He repeatedly attested to his brother, the mob boss’ various mental illnesses. The “priest’s brother” even testified in court, “Vincent is a paranoid schizophrenic. He hallucinates. He’s been that way since 1968.”1 When this was happening, he built his crime family into one of the largest Mafia families in the country. Under his leadership, this powerhouse criminal enterprise brought in around $100 million a year at its height. But in 2003, he finally pleaded guilty and admitted that his supposed insanity was an elaborate effort to avoid prosecution.

1.2.1 The Story Behind the Psalm Continued

Back to David. Look at the inscription above Psalm 34: “OF DAVID, WHEN HE CHANGED HIS BEHAVIOR BEFORE ABIMELECH, SO THAT HE DROVE HIM OUT, AND HE WENT AWAY” (Psalm 34:title).2 When he acted like he was insane, the whole episode was a time when David was full of fear.

1 Samuel gives us more of the story: “So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard” (1 Samuel 21:13).

David was not king yet, and King Saul relentlessly sought to kill him because he was jealous of him. At this point in his life, David is going through a roller coaster of emotions. To flee King Saul’s murderous threats, David seeks asylum with the Philistines, who happened to be enemy #1 for Israel at the time. If Israel were enemy #1, then David would have been the most wanted man for the Philistines. David had been the “John Wick” of the Philistines – he had been mowing them down! He had been killing Philistines like you’d swat flies at a Fourth of July picnic. Naturally, the king’s advisors fear David taking refuge with them. David was thinking, “The king of Israel wants me dead and the only people I can run to are my enemies!” Imagine a steer walking into a meat processing plant, and you get an idea of how David feels! David is used to causing people to fear, but he’s not used to experiencing fear. It’s this episode in David’s life that caused him to write Psalm 34.

1. Raise Your Praise Level

“This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him

and saved him out of all his troubles” (Psalm 34:6).

Today’s Scripture

I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul makes its boast in the LORD;

let the humble hear and be glad.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

and let us exalt his name together!

I sought the LORD, and he answered me

and delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant,

and their faces shall never be ashamed.

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him

and saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,

for those who fear him have no lack!