7 Key to Joy in the Journey #6

 

Psalm 34:1-8
 1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
         His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

 2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
         The humble shall hear of it and be glad.  

3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
         And let us exalt His name together.  
  
 

4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
         And delivered me from all my fears.

 5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
         And their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
         And saved him out of all his troubles.

 7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,
         And delivers them.
        
 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
         Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

1. PRAISE the LORD……..…because He is Worthy! vs 1

2. BOAST IN THE LORD… because He is in Control! vs 2

3. LIFT UP THE NAME OF THE LORD… …because He is GREAT! vs. 3

4. PRAY TO THE LORD… …because He Calms our Fears! vs. 4

5. LOOK TO THE LORD… …because HE will bring Joy! vs. 5

6. CRY OUT TO THE LORD...because He will Deliver You! vs. 6

 David realized that not only did God provide divine provision…He also provides divine protection.  Some trials are so physically, mentally, and emotionally painful, all you can do is cry out to the Lord for deliverance.  The great thing is …He hears our cries!

If King David could cry…who are you?
           If King Jesus could cry …who am I?

Just make sure when you cry, you are crying out to the Lord our deliverer.  One thing is crystal clear in scripture…God hates self pity.  The Israelites found this out first-hand in their pilgrimage in the wilderness.  They made the fatal mistake of failing to realize that it was God Himself who had

promised to lead them
   promised to guide them
      promised to provide for them
         promised to protect them.   

Like a bonus check from your employer, you can take His promises to the bank.  He will never fail you. So as you cry to Him, look expectantly for His hand of deliverance in the trials of your life.


As you journey through life have you ever had to cry out to the Lord?  For What? Has he delivered you yet? 


 How Great is Our God by Paul Morton

7 Keys to Joy in the Journey of Life - #5

Psalm 34:1-8
 1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
         His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

 2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
         The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
 

3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
         And let us exalt His name together.  
  
 4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
         And delivered me from all my fears.
 
 5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
         And their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
         And saved him out of all his troubles.

 7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,
         And delivers them.
        
 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
         Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

1. PRAISE the LORD……..…because He is Worthy! vs 1

2. BOAST IN THE LORD… because He is in Control! vs 2

3. LIFT UP THE NAME OF THE LORD… …because He is GREAT! vs. 3

4. PRAY TO THE LORD… …because He Calms our Fears! vs. 4

5. LOOK TO THE LORD… …because HE will bring Joy! vs. 5


Instead of looking at His circumstances, David looked at His Lord! 

If you look around you’ll get discouraged
If you look in, you get depressed
If you look up you’ll get delivered

Not only did he have the right priority and the right position, but also he gave the right petition.  There is something about trials, troubles, and tribulations that drive us to our knees in prayer.  

Where else can we run
Who else to we look for
Who else do we hope to find

When we pray and release our burdens to the burden bearer, Joy fills that empty spot previously occupied by an unwelcome guest. Where are your eyes focused as you move on your personal journey?  Are you growing closer in fellowship, and intimacy with the Savior?  

Is your heart more pliable as Christ 
molds you
   hammers you
     shapes you
        breaks you
with purpose, and precision, that you recognize that the ultimate outcome will be for your good and His glory.  

There is no greater joy than seeing this blessed outcome through spiritual eyes before you ever see it with your physical eyes!


Be Grateful by Kim Burrell

7 Keys to Joy in the Journey of Life - #4

Psalm 34:1-8
 1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
         His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

 2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
         The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
 

3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
         And let us exalt His name together.  
  
 4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
         And delivered me from all my fears.
 
 5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
         And their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
         And saved him out of all his troubles.

 7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,
         And delivers them.
        
 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
         Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

1. PRAISE the LORD……..…because He is Worthy! vs 1

2. BOAST IN THE LORD… because He is in Control! vs 2

3. LIFT UP THE NAME OF THE LORD… …because He is GREAT! vs. 3

4. PRAY TO THE LORD… …because He Calms our Fears! vs. 4


When we finish praising God, our immediate response should be prayer!  Not only did David have the right priority, he assumed the right position…prostrate before Him in prayer and thanksgiving.  

Philippians 4:6-7 says “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Prayer is the prerequisite to peace, when done with thanksgiving for what He has done, and petition for what He can do!  When we pray we acknowledge our dependence on Him.  We can’t handle our situations, but prayer lets us know that we know we need Him.  In your most fearful moments, ask the Lord to intervene in your tribulations.  Your rejoicing will result in a peace that makes waiting worth the journey!

 Have you taken time to pray today? For yourself?  For others?  NO PRAYER...NO PEACE!

The Prayer by Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams

7 Keys to Joy in the Journey of Life - #3

Psalm 34:1-8
 1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
         His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
 2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
         The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
 3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
         And let us exalt His name together.
        
 4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
         And delivered me from all my fears.
 5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
         And their faces were not ashamed.
 6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
         And saved him out of all his troubles.
 7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,
         And delivers them.
        
 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
         Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

 

1. PRAISE the LORD……..…because He is Worthy! vs 1
 

2. BOAST IN THE LORD… because He is in Control! vs 2

 

3. LIFT UP THE NAME OF THE LORD… …because He is GREAT! vs. 3

When it comes to your problem, the Lord wants you to have the right perspective.  He wants you to view your problem from His perfect perspective and not your imperfect point of view.

Like David did with Goliath, He wants you to recognize that no problem is too big for God.  That’s why we lift up the name of Jesus!

• He’s Mighty
• He’s Magnificent
• He’s Marvelous
• He’s Miraculous

He’s so great that:

• No that no giant you face is to fearful
• No disaster you discover is too devastating
• No terror you encounter is too terrifying

As you lift up His mighty name in praise, awe and adoration, He will calm your deepest fears and comfort your most sorrowful tears.

He is the King of Glory!
           He is the Lord of Lord!  
                         He is the Prince of Peace!
Remember, He is the ultimate giant killer.  Be a David, and lift Him up everyday!

We Love to Praise Your Name by Jonathan Butler

7 Keys to Joy in the Journey of Life - #2

Psalm 34:1-8
 1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
         His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
 2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
         The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
 3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
         And let us exalt His name together.
        
 4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
         And delivered me from all my fears.
 5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
         And their faces were not ashamed.
 6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
         And saved him out of all his troubles.
 7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,
         And delivers them.
        
 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
         Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

1. PRAISE the LORD……..…because He is Worthy! vs 1
 

2. BOAST IN THE LORD… because He is in Control! vs 2

Not only do you praise the Lord with you lips…even as you wait, the Psalmist urges you boast it Him from your soul…because He is in control of your situation.  The word afflicted means “depressed” or “discouraged”.  Although we all will or have experienced these disabling circumstances, the very fact that you

Live in fellowship with the Lord
Lean on the divine intervention power of the Lord
Love the awesome attributes of the Lord
 

These should cause you to boast of His goodness at all times. 
We should

Boast in the Lord!
Boast on the Lord!
Boast about the Lord!

Boasting is a loud, verbal recognition that He has you in your time of need.   So let the world know that you are trusting in the Lord, and trusting Him alone!

Give Him Glory by DeAndre Patterson

7 KEYS TO JOY IN THE JOURNEY OF LIFE

Psalm 34:1-8
 1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
         His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
 2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
         The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
 3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
         And let us exalt His name together.
        
 4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
         And delivered me from all my fears.
 5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
         And their faces were not ashamed.
 6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
         And saved him out of all his troubles.
 7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,
         And delivers them.
        
 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
         Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Happiness is dependent on circumstances.  Joy comes from trusting in Jesus despite your circumstances. 
Joy is a choice. 
      Joy is a result of dependence. 
                Joy is the afterglow true praise.

In Psalm 34, God gives an unusual but highly effective prescription for how we should respond to the problems that we face in life.  The result of taking this prescription is different than the pharmaceutical prescriptions you will receive at your doctor’s office.  The result is spiritual health resulting in unspeakable joy.

After God delivered him, David basically said there are 7 things you should do as you journey through the trials of this life:

1. PRAISE the LORD……..…because He is Worthy! vs.1
David made the decision, that despite what I may be going through, by an act of my will, I will praise the Lord at all times…
Not only sometime
not only in the good time,
not only in the painless times…but all time.

Why should we choose to praise God when trials come our way?

There is no one more powerful!
There is no one more holy!
There is no one who can comfort you!
There is no one who is able to deliver!
There is no one more worthy of our praise than God!

The sad thing is this, If you don’t like praising God now, you are going to hate heaven, In the beauty and glory of our heavenly home, we will praise Him all day long. Rev 4&5

If you can’t think of your own personal and unique reasons to praise God, let me give you three reasons that are sure invoke a spirit of praise to rise off from your heart and expressed on your lips.
Because of Calvary…you are saved
Because of the Holy Spirit…you are sealed
Because of the resurrection…you are set for heaven
Let’s give Him the Praise He is due!

WE WILL SHARE THE OTHER 6 IN OUR UPCOMING POSTS! 

Youth for Christ - I Give You Praise