This poor man cried!

"This poor man cried and....."


David penned the 34th psalm... but he wrote about me when he penned it. David wasn't perfect. I'm not either. David sinned greatly. I have too. But David could write this, because of his God that forgave him. David could write this, because of the God that He knew. David sought Him in the pit of his sin (in Psalm 40 he calls it a horrible pit of miry clay) and God brought him out of that pit that he'd become stuck in. Not only did David seek God and God pull him from his pit when he called to Him; but GOD sought David when David wasn't doing a lot of seeking for Him (2 Samuel 12), because David was in the midst of seeking his sin... Yet God sent a reminder to him in his rebellion, so that David would turn back his diverted eyes toward Him again.

We have a Faithful Father! A Shepherd that watches over His sheep and One Who leaves the ninety-nine in order to seek for His lost, those wandering, His wayward ones. He's done the same for me.... sought after me while I wasn't seeking for Him..... pulled me from the pits that I'd become deeply stuck in. He's done it for you too (sought after you)..... though not everyone chooses to see it..... and those that won't see won't choose to call out to Him either.... though they'll be quick to blame Him.

David wasn't a man of perfection. He sinned much, and thus had need for much forgiveness. God forgave it all, redeemed him, and then called David a man after His own heart. The very last verse in this psalm says, "The LORD REDEEMS His servants; NO ONE will be condemned WHO takes REFUGE in Him."

I suppose that "no one" really does mean "no one," huh? "No one will be condemned who take refuge in Him." After looking up the meaning of these words in the Hebrew it basically means it just like it says it: NO ONE will be found "guilty" that takes refuge in Him, that "seeks" refuge from Him, that "flees to Him for protection." No one that puts their "trust" in Him, that "confides" and "hopes" in Him will be condemned on the day of judgment. Because He "redeems" them "by paying a price." He "ransoms" them, He "rescues" them, He "delivers" them, He "preserves," He "sets free," He "lets go," He "delivers life from danger"!

David... "a man after God's own heart." Wow, God Himself called him that after all that he'd done. After he'd committed adultery. After he'd lied. After he'd murdered. And you know, after all the yuck that I've done, I honestly feel that God can say something similiar about me. Not because me or anything that I've done; but because of who He is and all that He has!

What kind of man are you?

Verse six says,

"This poor man CALLED,
and the LORD HEARD him;

He SAVED him

OUT of ALL his troubles."

This poor man. This afflicted man. This wretched man. This needy man. This weak man... This oppressed, humbled, depressed, downcast, stooped, bowed down man CALLED out and the Lord heard him and saved him! Saved him, not from some, but saved him out of ALL of his troubles. That was me. What about you?

Psalm 34

I will extol the LORD at ALL times;

His praise will ALWAYS be on my lips.

My soul will boast in the LORD;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the LORD with me;

let us exalt His name together.

I SOUGHT the LORD, and He ANSWERED me;

He DELIVERED me from all my fears.

Those who look to Him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.

This (ME!) poor man CALLED, and the LORD HEARD him;

He SAVED him OUT of ALL his troubles.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

Fear the LORD, you His saints,

for those who fear Him lack NO-THING.

The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the LORD lack NO GOOD THING.

Come, my children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

Whoever of you loves life

and desires to see many good days,

keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking lies.

Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous

and His ears ARE ATTENTIVE to their CRY;

the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,

to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

The righteous CRY OUT, and the LORD HEARS them;

He DELIVERS them from A-L-L their troubles.

The LORD is CLOSE to the brokenhearted

and SAVES those who are crushed in spirit.

A righteous man may have many troubles,

BUT THE LORD DELIVERS him from them A-L-L;

He protects all his bones,

not one of them will be broken.

Evil will slay the wicked;

the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

The LORD REDEEMS His servants;

NO ONE will be condemned WHO takes REFUGE in Him.