Hope for Every Season Message 3

Hope for Every Season

A Journey through Psalm 34

Message 3

Hope Grows as We Seek the Lord

Have any Phobias?

Two big ones.

Fear of heights (I crawl to edge of the cliff!)

Dogs (I was badly bitten as a kid.)

The all-seeing eye

God not like that

This Hebrew can and does mean “fear”.

But it most often refers to reverence, awe, worshipful respect, and humble submission.

Psalm 34:7 (BSB) — 7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who “fear” who are in awe of Him, and he delivers (rescues)them.

Psalm 34:7 BSB

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.

It’s the difference between:

Being afraid of God because He is your Judge.

Standing in awe of God because He is your Father, King, Creator, and Redeemer.

The fear of the Lord is not the fear that makes you run from God; it is the reverence that draws you to Him.

We have enough things we are afraid of.

See the picture being painted

David isn't describing people hiding in terror.

He's describing people who have discovered God's goodness (v:8).

People that believe God is who says he is and surrender their lives to Him.

Moving them from the dark season of winter to the sunshine of spring.

Hope Grows as We Seek the Lord

Hope Grows When We Trust God's Protection

Verse 7

Psalm 34:7 (BSB) — 7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who “fear” who are in awe of Him, and he delivers (rescues) them.

Psalm 34:7 BSB

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.

Notice the military imagery.

God surrounds His people.

We are not left to fight alone.

When does God fight for us?

When we fear Him!

When we revere the Lord.

Our security in not in the absence of enemies but in the presence of the Lord.

Hope Grows When We Experience God's Goodness

Verse 8

Psalm 34:8 (NLT) — 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

Psalm 34:8 NLT

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

The call to “taste” is the call to test.

I love trying different foods.

Occasionally I’ll try something that is truly awful.

I can’t hardly eat fast food anymore.

*We heard about Roy’s key lime salt pie?

Sometimes something will be “Where you been all my life”.

*I experience something truly remarkable. (BBQ in Texas)

David says “Here have a taste and see for yourself”

The ‘taste” of the Lord will not disappoint.

Not study and see.

Not debate and see.

But taste and see.

God’s goodness is to be experienced.

Christianity is not merely believing facts about God.

It is experiencing His goodness firsthand.

I can describe it…

But until you experience it you will not truly know it.

Hope Grows Through Reverent Worship

Verse 9

Psalm 34:9 (BSB) — 9 Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.

Psalm 34:9 BSB

Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.

This not the fear of a cruel master

“It is the reverence of a child who deeply loves and honors a gracious father.”

Reverence recognizes…

God’s holiness

God’s authority

God’s greatness

God’s goodness

We don’t obey because we are afraid.

We obey because he is worthy.

The more we understand God's goodness, the deeper our reverence becomes.

Hope Grows as We Continually Seek the Lord

Verse 10

Psalm 34:10 (NLT) — 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

Psalm 34:10 NLT

Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

What a great illustration

Lions are the apex predator of jungle.

But even they go hungry

Think about it like this.

Yes we as believers will experience going without.

Even the Apostle Paul testified to this.

The point is human strength, ingenuity, cleverness, intelligence are not the source of our security.

A loin security is in his strength and cunning.

Where does the believer’s security lie?

Notice the passage

Psalm 34:10 (NLT) — 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

Psalm 34:10 NLT

Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

Psalm 23

Psalm 23:1 (NIV) — 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

Psalm 23:1 NIV

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

Shepherds to three things.

Shepherds Protect (We are defenseless)

Shepherds Guide

Shepherds Provide

Jesus taught to pray “give us this day our daily beard”

Daily beard is reference to manna

Why daily?

Because taught Israel and us that man does not live on beard alone.

But what? ________________________________

Deuteronomy 8:3 NLT

He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

“There is nothing I need that God can't supply”

Humbly submit yourself before the Lord.