What do you fear? Fear is probably the most motivating emotion we have. It factors into most of our decisions even who we surround ourselves with. Your closest friends probably fear the same things you do or their strength alleviates a fear of yours and that is why you align yourself with them. But is fear a sin? Is it a result of the fall? We are repetitively told to fear the Lord and nothing else. Psalm 34 says fearing the Lord is the key to lacking nothing and having many good days. Proverbs 1:7 says fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. I don't even need a show of hands who wants these things. I am sure with more study we could find even more locks that the key of fearing the Lord would open. So if we fear the Lord, we have nothing to fear. Yet we spend our whole lives avoiding our fears and trying different ways to obtain things and knowledge just to have a few good days. For me, I need to make the shift from knowing God can to trusting that he will. Jared and I use to go rock climbing and there were many times I could climb to the top without falling. But you better believe there was never a time I didn't ascend without harness, ropes and a trusted belayer. I could climb without fear because I was equipped and someone trusted and strong was ready to catch me when I fell. I had to move from knowing Jared could save me if I fell to trusting he really would and it was proved when I over came my fear and went up the wall. Some of us just don't go very far up the wall, we think God might let us fall, it would be safer just to stay low, just in case. But shat walls would you scale if you really knew God, that you knew you safe and secure, that there was nothing to fear from the one who made the wall, equipped you, created your body to climb it, gave you the intellect to see routes, and even designed the gravity you are so afraid will pull you down? Verses 11-14 give us some practical exercises to learn to fear the Lord. These are actions that require obedience and steps of faith. What lies and evil will you keep off your lips? How will you turn from evil things? Where will you do good? When will you seek peace? How will you pursue peace? Which steps are you taking to learn to fear the Lord today?
Psalm 34 Questions -
1. Do you extol the Lord at all times? When you aren't praising the Lord, what other things are on you lips in a day?
2. Do you share the gospel of Jesus in your life so the afflicted with hear and rejoice? Do you find others to glorify and exalt the Lord with or do you live your faith privately?
3. How many times does this pattern emerge in this psalm: Cry to God--> God hears-->God delivers? How many times to you need to repeat this pattern in your life today? God is gracious to repeat himself because we are so prone to repeat our mistakes.
4. What are you doing to teach your children to fear the Lord? How is fear different from respect? Is fear of the Lord different than being afraid of Him?
5. What do you think about guardian angels? What does this psalm say about the angel of the Lord? How would your day look if you could visibly see that angel? Ask God to give you eyes of faith.
6. How can you seek and pursue more peace? This implies it is hard to find and need an active maintenance program. What areas have little peace in your life? What are you going to do about it?
7. Who is brokenhearted or emotionally or spiritually crushed in your world today? How will you encourage them and be close?
8. How many troubles will the righteous man have in verse 19? How many of them will the Lord deliver him from?
9. Who does verse 20 remind you of? Read John 19:32-37.
10. Verses 21-22. Who will be condemned? Who will not be condemned?
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