PSALM 34
Psalms
PSALM CHAPTER 34
MAINTAINING HAPPINESS:
Bless the LORD at All Times !
Learning How To Make The Lord
The True Center of My Life !
1. MAKING GOD THE TRUE CENTER CONTINUALLY.
A. A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO MAKE HIM FIRST ABOVE ALL.
HOSEA 12:6.
B. NOT AS HARD IF WE ARE CONSTANTLY SERVING HIM.
ACTS 6:4. SEEN IN NORMAL SERVANTHOOD—ACTS 10:7.
C. SERVING GOD SEEN AS DISTINCT FROM SERVING ANYONE
ELSE. DAN. 6:20. (COMPARE TO HUSBAND, COUNTRY,
EMPLOYER, ETC.).
D. INVOLVES THE ACTION OF THE WHOLE PERSON.
EPH. 5:19, COL. 3:16.
2. THE SOUL MUST BOAST OF GOD. PS. 44:8.
A. “SELF” MUST BE PUT IN PLACE FOR THIS. PS. 94:4.
—BOASTING OF GOD MUST NOT BE SHARED WITH ANY OTHER
FACTOR OR ENTITY. ROM. 2:17, EPH. 2:9.
B. REVEALS A TOTAL DEPENDENCE ON GOD.
PROV. 27:1, JAS. 4:13-15.
C. THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORD AND PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE ALLOW THE SOUL TO DO THIS. 2 TIM. 1:12.
3. MAKING GOD THE CENTER HAS PRACTICAL CONSEQUENCES.
A. IT MAKES THE HUMBLE GLAD. JAS. 4:6, PS. 69:32.
B. IT PROVIDES AUTOMATIC FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHERS
OF LIKE MIND. GAL. 2:9. (PAUL’S ACCEPTANCE).
4. THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF DOING THINGS TOGETHER. V. 3
A. DOING THINGS TOGETHER IS THE PLAN OF GOD.
ROM. 15:30, 2 COR. 6:1, EPH. 2:21,22.
B. YOU GET BLESSED BY GOD’S BLESSINGS TO OTHERS. V. 4
C. IT ENCOURAGES OTHERS. I THES. 5:11.
—THEY LOOK TO GOD INSTEAD OF LOOKING ELSEWHERE.
ACTS 2:44.
—THEY GREW MORE BOLD. ACTS 4:31,
—THEY GREW MORE CHRIST-LIKE AND ALIKE. 1 COR. 1:10.
—THEY WERE SEPARATE FROM THE WORLD WHEN THEY
WERE WITH ONE ANOTHER. 2 COR. 6:14.
5. SEEKING GOD CASTS AWAY FEARS. V. 4.
A. HOW SHOULD WE SEEK THE LORD ?
—WITH ALL HEART AND SOUL. DEUT. 4:29
(THROUGH THE MORTAL AND ETERNAL PARTS OF US).
—IS A CONTINUAL TASK. 1 CHRON. 16:11
—IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THOSE WHO WANT TO SEE GOD
BLESS A NATION. 2 CHRON. 15:13. KING ASA.
—IS AN INDIVIDUAL CHOICE. 2 CHRON. 20:3, EZRA 7:10.
—WHEN HE SAYS IT IS TIME. HOSEA 10:12.
—SEEK DILIGENTLY [=CRAVE, HUNGER AFTER]. HEB. 11:6.
—RECOGNIZES THAT THE DEVIL IS SEEKING, TOO. 1 PET. 5:8.
B. MUST SEEK GOD, NOT RELATED ISSUES.
—NOT OUR OWN PERSONAL BENEFIT. 1 COR. 10:33.
—NOT RELIGIOUS ARGUMENTS, SIGNS, ETC. MARK 8:11.
6. SEEKING GOD REQUIRES US TO KNOW OURSELVES. V. 6
A. DO WE SEE OURSELVES AS POOR ? (COMPARED TO WHAT
WE COULD BE). MATT. 5:3
B. DO WE SEE OURSELVES AS NEEDY ? REV. 3:17
C. DO WE KNOW WHERE TO TURN IMMEDIATELY IN TIME OF
NEED ? (OR, DO WE TURN THERE AFTER ALL OTHER
ALTERNATIVES ARE EXHAUSTED ?) MATT. 6:33, HEP. 4:16
D. DO WE REMEMEBER THE LORD’S FAITHFULNESS IN TIME ? (HE
HEARD YOU LAST TIME, DIDN’T HE ?) PS. 77:9, 10.
—DO WE DESERVE CHASTENING ? PS. 119:75
—DO WE THINK IT BECOMES OLD ? LAM. 3:23
—DO WE THINK THERE ARE DAYS OF OMISSION ? PS. 92:2
7. QUALIFICATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE CONTINUAL PRAISE.
A. EXPERIENCE. V. 6. “THIS POOR MAN . . .” NOT ALL. GEN. 30:27
JAMES 1:6,7 ISAIAH 61:10. (APPLIES TO THE RIGHTEOUS.
THIS POOR MAN – DAVID – WAS RIGHTEOUS THROUGH HIS
FAITH IN CHRIST).
B. RELATIONSHIP. V. 6. PS. 33:21, DAN. 3:23
C. EXPECTATION (FAITH). V. 6. 2 TIM. 1:12 WITH 2 COR. 1:12
8. LEARNING FROM GOD IS A REASON TO PRAISE CONTINUALLY.
A. IF LEARNING IS CONTINUAL, SO IS THE PRAISE !
B. OBSERVATION IS A KEY TO LEARNING.
—FROM SITUATIONS OF CRISIS. V. 7. PROV. 21:23,
JOB 5:9, DEUT. 31:17.
—FROM THE DAILY WALK OF PEOPLE. V. 8.
PS. 107:38-44.
—FROM GENERALIZATION ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE.
V. 9. ROM. 9:27, 10:1, 21.
—FROM THE ANIMALS. V. 10. PROV. 30:25-26,
JOB 35:11, JOB 41:1, NUM. 22:30.
—FROM SPECIFIC TEACHING. V.11, 1 COR. 11:14,
2 SAM. 22:35, GAL. 6:6.
9. IF I AM BUSY DOING GOOD, I WON’T BE FAR FROM PRAISING GOD.
A. KEEPING MY TONGUE FROM EVIL. HATE INVOLVED
PROV. 26:28.
B. KEEPING MY LIPS FROM SPEAKING GUILE. (DECEIT
AND TREACHERY) 1 PETER 2:1, PS. 32:2, REV. 14:5.
C. DEPARTING FROM EVIL. PROV. 16:6, JOB 28:28.
D. DOING GOOD. HEB. 13:16, JAMES 4:17.
E. SEEKING PEACE, AND PURSUING IT.
F. RESULTS: GOD HEARS MY PRAYERS, GIVING ME
EVEN MORE REASON TO PRAISE HIM ! V. 15.
*THE FOLLOWING POINTS ARE BASED ON THE
FEAR OF THE LORD BEING TAUGHT. V. 11.
*PSALM 111:10, PROV. 1:7,
—IT REQUIRES ACTION !
PROV. 8:13 — HATE EVIL
PROV. 14:26 — EXERCISE FAITH
10. DOING GOOD HAS ITS REWARDS. V. 11-15, 17-22.
CAN ONLY BE DONE THROUGH JESUS. ROMANS 3:12.
*EPHESIANS 5:10 —THIS CAN BE PROVED !
HEBREWS 13:16, I TIMOTHY 6:18, JAMES 4:17.
—WHAT DOES IT MEAN ? MATT. 19:16-22
—TO WHOM IS IT DONE ? LUKE 6:27, 33-35, GAL. 6:10.
—BY WHOSE STANDARDS ? 2 COR. 10:13, EPH. 4:13
(MATURITY). EXAMPLE IS JESUS. ACTS 10:38.
A. IN PLEASING GOD. I THES. 4:1. HOW ? ROM. 8:8-9,
ROMANS 12:1-3.
B. IN EFFECTIVE PRAYERS. V. 15. JAMES 4:17.
C. CLOSENESS WITH THE LORD. V. 18. JOB 8:20.
D. DELIVERANCE FROM TROUBLES. V. 19.
PS. 72:12, PS. 34:7,17,19, 2 TIMOTHY 4:18.
E. REDEMPTION FOR THE SOUL. V. 22.
F. PROMISE OF INNOCENCE. V. 22.
(DESOLATE=Heb.“NOT-GUILTY”)
11. DOING EVIL HAS ITS’ PRICE. V. 16.
A. GOD IS AGAINST THEM.
B. THEY ARE EASILY FORGOTTEN.
C. THEY WILL BE FOUND GUILTY (DESOLATE). V.21
3 JOHN 1:11.
