October 25, 2009 - Part 3

Psalm 34:1-8

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.
O 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.
Look to him, and be radiant;
So your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor sould cried, and was heard by the Lord,
And was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the Lord encamps
Around those who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good,
happy are those who take refuge in him.

An individual song of thanksgiving, but not for personal use only. Often these individual testimonies to faith were made public in community to teach and inspire others for their own times of struggle.

Psalm 34 is also an acrostic psalm, which means that each line begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in sequence from A to Z, so to speak.

The section we read has 3 main themes, which give us our reflection points.

Questions for Reflection:

“Bless the Lord at all times” – it is not realistic to spend the whole day, every day in worship. How can we make the more mundane parts of our lives shine with the wonder of God?

“Heard by the Lord and saved from every trouble” – what do we do with the question of suffering in the short-term, when ultimately the Christian response is to focus on a long-term hope, whether you call it new life, or the kingdom of God?

“Taste and see that God is good!” – the whole person should be able to celebrate God, not just the intellect. How do YOU celebrate God with all five senses?