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Life usually doesn't go like we planned, or sometimes its pretty perfect and you wonder what every one's complaining about.

But 9 times out of 10 I'm sure we see ourselves looking down an empty well, wondering what in the world just happened and what in the world are we going to do about it?

Well, 10 times out of 10, although we fail to turn to it first. The Bible really does have words of comfort, words that shift through the muck and help you wake up to another day.

Psalm 34 has definitely been a chapter that has shifted through a lot of the muck from this past week.

Psalm 34

¹ I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.

² My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

³ Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

⁶ This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

⁹ Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.

¹⁰ The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

¹¹ Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

¹² Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,

¹³ keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.

¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;

¹⁶ the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.

¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;

²⁰ he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

²¹ Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

²² The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

David starts off by saying that he will praise God always,

his praise will always be on his lips. His soul Boasts in the Lord-

Let those who are

afflicted, wounded, tired

rejoice!

Glorify him with me. Let my joy, my gladness, infect you- empower you to be filled with the same joy, the same praise.

And then he tells us why.

Why does David continuously glorify the name of the Lord? Why does he tell those who are being worn down- to rejoice & praise God with him?

Because when he sought the Lord. When we looked to the Lord and went to him in the secret place- He answered him.

Because.. when we look to the Lord our faces are glowing, like Moses- when he went up to the Mountain to see God, his face was glowing & so radiant he had to cover it with a veil. So when we look unto God our faces are also radiant. And we are never, never put to shame. No one can mock us, no one can belittle us- we are never put to shame.

This, This poor man. David calls himself a poor man, a man of riches, an empire that is virtually undefeated. But in the presence of God we are just filthy rags. David is so humble before the Lord.. When humility is lacking- God will surely send it on its way.

The Angel of the Lord- encamps. God sends angels, his messengers- his warriors- his guardians like we see Michael & Gabriel- to deliver those who fear him.

So..

Taste and See!- that the Lord is Good. Fear Him, Seek Him- and you will Lack no Good thing

His eyes are on the Righteous. And he is attentive to their cry.

Verse 18- my favorite

The Lord is close the brokenhearted.

Its such an amazing Psalm full of hope and wonder and you can't help but see the

raw relationship that David has with God.

David Loves the Lord because he Tasted Him, he sought after him, his heart was broken and the Lord was there close enough to mend it.

David had such an amazing relationship with the Lord. And when we go through problems we often become angry with God for not being near. When in truth we've just lost our eyes.

When times are going well and we put him aside, farther and farther from where we are, then when we've lost our way- expect to reach out and find him waiting for us.

In fact. He does. He does wait for us. He is always there- closer than a brother. Even when we put Him under a rug and toss Him aside- he welcomes us.. with open arms.

The secret in tasting and seeing that the Lord is good is actually tasting. Is actually seeking.

We want God to *poof* next to us when we are staring down at that empty well- but if our eyes are adjusted to merely seeing black and white- how would they know when Color appeared?

Adjust your eyes, taste and see that the Lord is good

So that when you're staying up with sore red eyes studying for the biggest test of your life, coming home from a job that you break your back for, wrestling with illness and hurdles no one could understand, fighting with your parents, worried about your future or broken hearted

God will just clench your hand a little tighter.