"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4
When David was distraught, downcast and fearing for his life, he sought the Lord. He sought the Lord while at the same time leaving a trail of examples to follow. No matter what he experienced, he seemed to always find refuge in the shadow of the wings of his Almighty. As he likely will have mused over his writings, poems and songs I wonder if David ever comtemplated the potential impact from his outpoured heart. The legacy he let flow during his times of great sadness and exhuberant joy.
I, for one, am so thankful for the trail he left. When my soul is downcast I am learning once again to put my trust in God, for I will yet praise Him. When fear or depression creep in, or despair comes knocking at my door, I do hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit calling me gently to also find refuge beneath the shadow of His great and mighty wings, or to allow myself to be lifted high in the palm of His righteous right hand. Often, these words I hear echoing in my mind and heart are the very words David, once a simple shepherd boy who grew up and died a great and mighty king, penned during his very own times of distress.
Today, when tides of emotion coming from who knows where tried to drown me I chose to be very deliberate in seeking the Lord, just as David did and just as countless saints before me have and currently do. And as I sought the Lord, He did hear me and He did answer me and Hedid deliver me from all my fears.
And now, I can intentionally teach my children to seek the Lord when they, too, are afraid or sad or even mad. As we sit around the kitchen table for breakfast to start off our school day with Bible reading and learning, they, too, can already learn from the holy pages filled by Kings and Shepherd Boys, Prophets and Sinners, Saints and... oh, so much more! How thankful I am that we can learn together how to live life in a way that pleases our Saviour and to understand that our Saviour God so greatly cares for us.
"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.... The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned." Psalm 34:1, 22
