Hope is calling again…

Sunday, the pastor led us to the first verse for his message. I went to the top of the chapter to see the context… and the whole chapter leaped off the page, feeding my spirit with comfort and hope. I’ve been trying all week long to get a good Internet connection long enough to post this… so now that I have, I’d love to know which verse(s) in this chapter speak to you.

This is what David wrote when his circumstances were beyond terrible. He had seen great things in his past – and among them was killing Goliath of Gath, the champion of the Philistine army. Yet at this point in his life, Israel is so against him that the only place left to flee to is Gath, pretending to be insane so the king wouldn’t kill him!

And this is for any of us who, like David, choose to take our eyes off our circumstances, remember God’s lovingkindness and faithfulness, and trust the One who holds our past, present, and future in the palm of His hand.

Psalm 34:

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will exalt His name together.

I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.

Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.
The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be held guilty.
The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be held guilty.