Teachings on ‘The Fear of the Lord’ 1. Praising in the Fear of the Lord Psalm 34:1

Text: “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continuously be in my mouth."

Psalm 34:1.

Good morning, Praising Christian!  Your lips are continually praising the Lord, because your heart and soul are continually living in godly reverence, or fear, of His Holy Name.  Godly fear, or heart-felt reverence of the Lord God Jehovah, contains no trace of dread, only reverent awe and wonder at the unfathomable depths of God’s Sovereign grace to sinful mankind.  Once our minds grasp the concept of God’s Sovereign grace to Hell-deserving sinners, our hearts, minds and tongues cry out our groans of voluntary praise of Him and to Him.  Hallelujah!  The Lord God has saved ME!  Glory to the mention of His grace!  Jesus Lives!  And Jesus Lives in ME!  Hallelujah!

Verse 1.  “I will bless the Lord at all times.  He who praises God for mercies shall never want (lack) a mercy for which to praise. To praise the Lord is never unseasonable.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 165)

Humanly speaking, ‘blessing the Lord at all times’ might prove to be a most difficult, if not impossible, task at particular times.  Life, especially life that is lived trying to actively and openly serve the Living Lord God, in Christ Jesus, can be very tempestuous indeed.  The unbelieving, increasingly anti-Christian world, detests our witness; our own fallen flesh is so prone to want to accept the proffered temptations offered; the Devil, that ‘old Serpent’, and all his fallen agents, are ever militant in seeking ways to snare us as we ‘…walk as pilgrims through this barren land…’ 

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." (1 Peter 5:8-9)

However, mature Christians know from experience that ‘blessing the Lord’, shouting praises unto God - in times of temptation, torment, and testing - is a mighty weapon against Satanic forces Spiritual and temporal, and soon brings us Divine help and support from Above.

“But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His Eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect (mature), stablish, strengthen, settle you.  To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)

Hallelujah!  ‘Bless the Lord at all times’!  We have the Victory in Christ Jesus!

Verse 2.  “My soul shall make her boast in the Lord.  Boasting is a very natural propensity, and if it were used as in this case, the more it were indulged the better.  The exultation of this verse is no mere tongue bragging; the soul is in it, the boasting is meant and felt before it is expressed.  What scope there is for Holy boasting in Jehovah!”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 165)

Why does the militant, forthright Christian engage in such ‘holy boasting’?  What Godly purpose is achieved by such an outward practice?  When we ask ourselves such vital questions during study of God’s Word, only then does God the Spirit - the Divine Author of all canonical Scripture - reveal unto us His Eternal purpose.  We engage in such sanctified boasting in the Lord in order to encourage and enlighten ‘…the humble…’; those who may be living in subjection to sin, to ungodly lifestyles, to addictive enslavement to the flesh.

Verse 2.  “…The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.  When victorious Christian testimony is forthrightly proclaimed, other souls who are enslaved by their sin hear the good news of Eternal Salvation in Christ Jesus and in His full Atonement for our sin at Calvary’s Cross.  They hear, and are enlightened, and are encouraged to seek this Eternal Salvation for themselves. 

I have often heard the remark, after giving testimony of God’s saving grace to me, ’…the chief among sinners…’: “Well, if the Lord God can save a gross ex-terrorist sinner like this guy McClinton, then He can also save ME!”

“So then (a conclusion) faith cometh by hearing (listening, reading?) and hearing by the Word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)

Someone once explained the process we are studying as ’One well-fed beggar, telling other hungry beggars where to find bread.’  

Jesus is the Bread of Life to all that, in Eternity, the Father has given Him to save.  It is in Christ Jesus we true Christians must make our boast; it is about Christ Jesus our boast rings out; it is in Christ alone, and in His sinless Sacrifice on the Cross alone - that regenerate Christians make our fervent boast.  Hallelujah!  He is risen indeed!

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the Bread of Life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth (believes and continues to believe, trusts) on Me shall never thirst…All that the Father giveth me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.”  (John 6:35-37)  Now, this is a Salvation to boast about.

Thought:  If we have, by God’s grace, discovered the Bread of Life - can we fail to boast out the good news that other hungry, sin-bound, souls might also find Salvation?  Go forth and tell Spiritual beggars where to find true Bread.