God has promised many blessings to His people (deliverance from fear, protection, goodness, provision, answers to prayer, etc.) but many of these blessings require our active participation. The conditions for enjoying the blessings are listening to God’s voice and then doing what He says! Throughout all dispensations, these have been unchanging requirements for living in a covenant relationship with God (see Exodus 19: 5). In John 10: 27, Jesus also described those whom He acknowledged as “His sheep”—that is, His disciples: “My sheep hear My voice…and they follow Me.”
Hearing the voice of the Lord implies an intimate relationship with Him in which He can speak to each one of us personally. His communication is Spirit-to-spirit; His Spirit to our spirit. His voice penetrates to the innermost depths of our being and He may speak to us in this way through His Word, or He may impart a word of direct revelation. Blessings result from hearing God’s voice and doing what He says; however, curses result from NOT hearing God’s voice and NOT doing what He directs (rebellion…see Deuteronomy 28: 3-68).
Psalm 34 provides us with an extensive list of things we can put into place in our lives in order to appropriate the “good things / blessings” from above. God’s invitation to you: “Try this; I know you’ll like it.”
The Bible often connects fear of the Lord (love and reverence for Him) with keeping His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12: 13). Obedience is the first step to discovering how good and kind He is. As we experience His goodness, our trust in Him increases. We may say that “we belong to the LORD”, but then we must also think about whether we revere Him? Do we demonstrate our respect and honor by a humble attitude and genuine worship? King David adds that a person who fears the Lord doesn’t lie, turns from evil, does good, and promotes peace (Psalm 34: 8-14). Therefore, a person who seeks peace cannot be argumentative and contentious and it is important that we see that peaceful relationships really are a product of our own efforts at peacemaking each day. Reverence is much more than sitting quietly in church; it includes obeying God in the way we speak and in the way we treat others.
I also want to point out verse 9 to you; those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Maybe you feel you are lacking many good things. It is important that we remember that God KNOWS what each of us need and it is a fact that our deepest “needs” are most often spiritual.
Many will face unbearable hardship and poverty, yet still have enough spiritual nourishment to continue to live for God. David is praising God for His goodness—that all who call upon God in their times of need will be heard, sometimes in unexpected ways. Perhaps God desires that we learn that we NEED HIM more than we need to achieve our immediate desires, or escape from the pain of grief, loss, failure in day to day life?
I admit that I NEED Him in my life; that I NEED His help every moment of every day; and that I am so GRATEFUL for His faithfulness and for His many blessings in my own life!
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