Desperate Times

Psalter Psaturday #101

Psalm 34:1-2

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 hear it and rejoice.

The Greek physician Hippocrates once wrote, "Desperate times call for desperate measures." This was possibly about taking dramatic steps to cure disease. We can relate to his sentiment. When it comes to the survival of ourselves or our loved ones, we might do things we would never dream of without an imminent threat. If we see a car coming at us and a head-on collision is inevitable, we will swerve off the road, hit a tree, plummet down embankments, or crash through a fence to avoid a collision. There are cases where desperation calls for desperate decisions. King David was in desperate times. This Psalm is a hymn of praise written in response to God's faithful deliverance from desperate times.

With Saul breathing down his neck, David made two questionable decisions. First, he found shelter among the Philistines, who were great enemies of Israel, God's people. Second, he deceived King Achish by pretending to be a madman, hoping he would not be recognized. This Psalm (34) is about his great thankfulness to God for choosing to deliver him regardless of his motives or poor choices. David was in desperate times and chose desperate measures.

I will bless the Lord at all times;

It's tough to be mindful of God's goodness and presence at all times, but it is very difficult in those desperate times. Our days may be filled with joy and contentment or pain and fear. Happiness and security are subject to our immediate situation. Our emotions ride the hills and valleys of our current affairs, and the strength of our trust in the Lord rides with them. Trust and faith in the Lord in all circumstances must be our hills and valleys' bedrock. Emotions and circumstances change, threats and discouragement fade, but God is faithful and unmoveable. We have good reason to praise him at all times.

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Maybe we don't always feel it, but speaking words of praise is an easy choice. Allow yourself to speak words and prayers of praise, even if your emotions aren't there; this doesn't mean you are being a hypocrite (unless you are), but it can mean that you are working to change that attitude by choosing to open your mouth and speak. You are speaking words of praise from what you know, not what you feel. God understands the conflict and is glorified by your choice to praise him. Despite anger, frustration, impatience, or even bitterness about your desperate situation, push them aside and honor the One who has redeemed you!

My soul will make its boast in the Lord;

Blessing the Lord at all times and praising him continually can dramatically affect your attitude and ability to focus on the goodness of God. Joshua 1:8 instructs us to meditate on God's word so we can carefully do all it says. Meditation changes how we think. When we praise continually and bless the Lord at all times, it is a form of meditation. We are choosing a thought process. Our focus is Christ, not our trials. The more faithful we are at this, the bolder we become. We grow from quiet praise to boasting of our Savior and his merciful care. Boasting means we "sing his praises." We must get where we cannot (and should not) contain our joy in the Lord regardless of our current condition.

The humble will hear it and rejoice.

Pride reveals itself in many forms. We may not feel prideful when we are desperate to save ourselves, but pride makes us think we can. When we are fearful and anxious and waiting on the Lord, we are tempted to begin plotting our escape and take things into our own hands. God's will is for us to pray, wait, and trust. His solution will always be better.

Scripture assures us that our times of despair are temporary 2 Cor 4:17-18; Psalm 30:1-5, Romans 8:18, 2 Cor 4:16, Rev 21:4 yet God is kind (Eph. 2:7), loving (1 John 4:8) and unchanging (Malachi 3:6) He is our rock, our shelter in the time of storm.

The Lord's our Rock, in him we hide, A shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide, A shelter in the time of storm.

A shade by day, defense by night, A shelter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes affright, A shelter in the time of storm.

The raging storms may round us beat, A shelter in the time of storm;
We'll never leave our safe retreat, A shelter in the time of storm.

O Rock Divine, O Refuge dear, A shelter in the time of storm;
Be thou our helper ever near, A shelter in the time of storm.

Vernon J. Charlesworth, ca.1880 alt. by Ira D. Sankey, pub.1885