Lake Deaton at Home

I love the “:0’s” that are so often found in the Psalms. Most often these are simple notes that say something like “a psalm of David,” or “for the Choir Director,” but every once in a while they have something good like today’s Psalm 34, “A psalm of David, regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech, who sent him away.” What I like about this little notation is that it gives context to the psalm. This was a real prayer written by a real person going through a real-life event. For me this brings the psalms to life. It also explains why many of the psalms are gritty and painfully honest as to the words of the psalmist. 

 On Psalm 35 David is being attacked, verbally accused, and he is hurting and he wants vengeance. Most of us have been in a place like this. We have gone through hard times where we have struggled to see God at work around us or we can’t understand why people who do horrific things seem to get away with it. 

Today as you read these three psalms I invite you to think of your own times of feeling lost or without hope, as you read, know that you can go to God with your whole emotion, your overwhelming pain, or whatever it is you are going through and God will listen and will walk you into a better place. 

 Have fun reading.

Read: Psalms 34, 35, and 36

Questions to Consider:

1.    In Psalm 34:1-10 David writes a beautiful litany of praise to God. What does knowing that David wrote this psalm during a time when he was pretending to be insane add to the psalm for you? Why?

2.    Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the LORD is good.” Have you ever tasted something that is amazing? How does this metaphor of taste give you a deeper vision of God within your life?

3.    Psalm 34 ends with, “No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.” What does that mean for you today? How do you take refuge in God in your life?

Activity for the Day:  Sit down with a journal (or just pen and paper) and think back over the past twenty years of your life. Go through every year. As you go through the years write down the big events of those years and then write down the struggles and hardships that you endured. As you write these reflect back to how God was with you in these times and write that down. Finally, write a short simple prayer of thanksgiving to God for His continued presence in your life, even when you did not see him in the moment.   

Blessings,