DAVID'S SECRET?
PSALM 34:1-4
PSALM 34:1-4 NKJV
1 I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
OBSERVATION:
This is one of the Psalms I have committed to memory. It is one of my go-to Psalms.
The first four verses begin with David's declaration. He declares that he will bless the Lord at all times. Praising God was a continuous thing with David. And as we examine David's life, this declaration appears to bear out. David had a lifestyle of praise to God.
And David boasted about God. David was bragging about God, not himself. People with a good sense of humility do not brag about themselves. But they do appreciate when God is boasted about.
Magnify the Lord with me is an interesting phrase. How do you magnify someone as big and awesome as our God? He cannot become bigger than He already is. Except we can make Him bigger in our own lives. As we bless Him and boast of Him, we magnify Him in our own consciousness.
David then speaks of seeking the Lord. When he did, God heard him and delivered him from all his fears.
I believe those four verses are big factors in David's years of sustained success. He blessed the Lord regularly. He boasted about God and what He had done and could do. He made a big deal out of God. And David sought God knowing that God would hear him and deliver him.
The rest of this psalm reveals some of what God does for His people. The psalm also gives great instructions for living a strong life.
APPLICATION:
This is one of the psalms you could take verse by verse and glean marvelous truths from each one.
However, you can start with just the first four verses and build a strong foundation for a strong spiritual life.
In my own life, I have recognized the need to offer God much more praise and credit. Too often, I have magnified the challenges and problems instead of magnifying the Lord.
David's life of praise and confidence in God is not out of reach for us today. What is written is for our learning. David's secret can be ours.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, help me develop a life of praise and confidence in You. You are worthy to be magnified.