Tune My Heart, Episode 25
- Stacy Bishop
- Jan 9
- 2 min read
Happy Sunday, friend. As you prepare for worship this morning, let’s take a moment of quiet to invite God’s presence into your awareness today.
Last week, we read the entire 34th Psalm. I want to dig into it a little deeper today. Let’s look at verses 1-8.
Psalm 34
I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory 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 one who takes refuge in him.
There’s this sense that David is joyful, in spite of his circumstances. It doesn’t say that He trusted God and never had troubles. It says the Lord delivered him from his fears. That He saves us out of trouble. That He delivers those who fear Him. That those who take refuge in Him are blessed. What this means is, there were circumstances out of which they needed rescue. There were fears. There was trouble. There was need to take refuge. You don’t take refuge in times of peace, you take refuge in the midst of danger.
As our encouragement today, verse 5 sticks out.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
In spite of circumstances, we can look to God and still radiate His joy. We don’t have to reflect fear, shame, pain, or trouble. We reflect the joy of the Lord, which can pervade even in the worst of times, when we look to Him. He is our source of power. Our source of joy. Our source of strength.
Whatever you may be facing today, or whatever those on your team are facing, look to God. Turn your eyes on Him. Let His peace and joy overtake your hearts and minds. We were never promised to not have trouble. In fact, the Bible is pretty clear that plenty of trouble will come our way, but God is with us every step of the way. The question is, will we choose to look to Him?
As you serve today, remind your heart of this truth. Remind your church of these truths. God is here for the good and the bad. He can hold both of those for us, bearing the weight we cannot.
Let’s pray.
God, may our faces radiate your joy today. We have tasted and seen that You are good and we know You are a faithful Father who will continue to be good. Whatever weight we’re carrying today, would You help us to set it aside and to look to You. Help us to be able to focus on You and Your goodness and to lead others to do the same. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
A printable/downloadable version of today's devo can be found here:
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