Nate on a mommy date with Beri. On the menu was coconut curry soup, octopus and squid salad and passion fruit ice cream. #livingabroad

No Want 

Psalms 34 

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. 

We have some good ol’ fashion “cause and effect” being taught once again. A familiar pattern in Psalms and Proverbs and a predictable pattern in life that we can leverage. The desired outcomes are given as having “NO WANT” and to “NOT BE IN WANT OF ANY GOOD THING” and a LONG LIFE FILLED WITH GOOD. 

Reflect upon those statements of blessings available to us. This is peace and contentment! The Lord does not withhold anything I NEED. I do not live in WANT. And further, He doesn’t withhold anything that is GOOD. He provides us with a long life that we may see GOOD! That, my friends, is absolutely amazing!

What’s the good? 

What does this mean? I don’t mean to disappoint you, but to “not be in want” and to have “everything one needs” is most likely a state of mind rather than an abundance of things. That’s just common sense. When I go to Africa, I am always amazed at how happy these Christian people are even though they have little material things. When I’m here in the states, I’m equally amazed at how unhappy people are who have a lot of material things. 

Now, consider the prerequisite of contentment and possessing all that is good and having no want. What is the “cause and effect” of it all. First, these blessings belong to those who FEAR Him. 

• The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, verse 7 
• O fear the Lord, you saints, verse 9a 
• For those who fear Him, there is no want, verse 9b 
• I will teach you the fear of the Lord, verse 11 

The root meaning of this word in the original language is a feeling of awe or reverence for God, which may be expressed in piety or formal worship. If one recognizes God as all-powerful, this will be reflected in his attitude and daily life in the form of reverence. 

This understanding brings back the lesson from yesterday when we looked at the first half of Psalms 34. Unlike the earthly king in the book of Esther who never acknowledged God but thought he was in control of all things, the fear of God is to acknowledge Him in all things and in all ways throughout our daily lives. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5,6 

Lord, may I NOT FOCUS on what I want, my needs, my wants – to have, to hold, to possess. Instead may I focus on the fear of the Lord and seeking Him always, and all these other things will take care of themselves. Remind me that verse 11 doesn’t say “come now and I’ll teach you how to have all good things (the effect). Instead, it says Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord, (the cause). Father and Lord, draw my heart away from what I want and draw it toward you. May I seek you and love you above all else. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned. Amen!