Year 5, Day 179: Psalm 34-35

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Up

• Up: Up is the word we use for what we worship.  If we are following God’s will, God will occupy the Up position.  Our life, our identity, our mission, our family on mission is all derived from Up.  This is why God needs to be in our Up position.

Up is a natural choice for Psalm 34.  Look at how it begins.  I will bless the Lord at all times.  This psalm is about praising God’s name.  This psalm is about worshipping God.  This psalm is all about lifting up God as the center of our life and acknowledging Him for all that He does in our life on a daily basis.  Psalm 34 is a naturally Up-focused psalm.

However, Psalm 35 might not have the connection to Up as quite so obvious.  At first, Psalm 34 seems to be more about discipleship concepts like protection and guidance than Up.  Certainly protection and guidance are a large part of this psalm.  However, look at the conclusions that the psalmist reaches in the middle and end of the psalm.  In the middle of the psalm, the psalmist stops and announces that he rejoices in the Lord and exults in His salvation.  That sounds like Up to me.  In the end of the psalm, look at where the psalmist sees the protection and guidance of the Lord lead.  The protection and guidance of the Lord should lead other people who look into our life to give praise and glory to God.  Our lives should help ourselves and those who know us stop and give praise to God.  Yes, this psalm is largely about protection and guidance.  But ultimately that protection and guidance should lead us into greater worship of the Lord Almighty.

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