Where Are You Looking?

Come, my children, and listen to me,
    and I will teach you to revere the Lord.

Psalm 34:11 

 

We have this habit of turning our eyes toward ourselves, don't we?  When we are struggling, what do we do? We start wondering why God would let us struggle.  When we have doubts, we wonder if God is punishing us or does He even care.  When we are discouraged and discontented, we wonder why God doesn't just fix everything for us.  When we focus on ourselves, it's as if we have crawled into a dark, dismal, damp, disillusioning cave.

Listen, ANYONE who has told you that being a Christian is about going from one silver lined cloud to another, and that the Christian life is one of ease and struggle free....has LIED to you!  "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all" Psalm 34:19.  When we try to live the Christian life, our enemy will throw all kinds of stumbling blocks in our way. 

 

In Psalm 34, David reminds us where we should be focusing.   

 

To the discouraged, David writes: "Glorify the Lord with me, let us praise His name together" Psalm 34:3.

 

To the distraught, David writes: "I asked the Lord for help and He answered me, and saved me from all my fears" Psalm 34:4.

 

To the distressed, David writes: "O taste and SEE that the Lord is good; how blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him" Psalm 34:8

 

To the overwhelmed, David writes: "You who belong to the Lord, revere Him; for those who revere Him there is no want" Psalm 34:9

 

To those who doubt, David writes: "Even young lions get weak and hungry; but the ones who rely on the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing" Psalm 34:10

 

When we find ourselves in the dark and dismal emotional cave, look up and see that Jesus is right there with His hands ready to life you up.