PSALM CHAPTER 34
MAINTAINING HAPPINESS:
Bless the LORD at All Times !

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Learning How To Make The Lord
The True Center of My Life !

1. MAKING GOD THE TRUE CENTER CONTINUALLY.
   A. A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO MAKE HIM FIRST ABOVE ALL.
        HOSEA 12:6.
   B. NOT AS HARD IF WE ARE CONSTANTLY SERVING HIM.
        ACTS 6:4. SEEN IN NORMAL SERVANTHOOD—ACTS 10:7.
   C. SERVING GOD SEEN AS DISTINCT FROM SERVING ANYONE
        ELSE. DAN. 6:20. (COMPARE TO HUSBAND, COUNTRY,
        EMPLOYER, ETC.).
   D. INVOLVES THE ACTION OF THE WHOLE PERSON.
        EPH. 5:19, COL. 3:16.

2. THE SOUL MUST BOAST OF GOD.   PS. 44:8.
   A. “SELF” MUST BE PUT IN PLACE FOR THIS. PS. 94:4.
        —BOASTING OF GOD MUST NOT BE SHARED WITH ANY OTHER
               FACTOR OR ENTITY. ROM. 2:17, EPH. 2:9.
   B. REVEALS A TOTAL DEPENDENCE ON GOD.
        PROV. 27:1, JAS. 4:13-15.
   C. THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORD AND PERSONAL
        EXPERIENCE ALLOW THE SOUL TO DO THIS. 2 TIM. 1:12.

3. MAKING GOD THE CENTER HAS PRACTICAL CONSEQUENCES.
   A. IT MAKES THE HUMBLE GLAD. JAS. 4:6, PS. 69:32.
   B. IT PROVIDES AUTOMATIC FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHERS
        OF LIKE MIND. GAL. 2:9. (PAUL’S ACCEPTANCE).

4. THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF DOING THINGS TOGETHER.    V. 3
   A. DOING THINGS TOGETHER IS THE PLAN OF GOD.
        ROM. 15:30, 2 COR. 6:1, EPH. 2:21,22.
   B. YOU GET BLESSED BY GOD’S BLESSINGS TO OTHERS. V. 4
   C. IT ENCOURAGES OTHERS. I THES. 5:11.
        —THEY LOOK TO GOD INSTEAD OF LOOKING ELSEWHERE.
               ACTS 2:44.
        —THEY GREW MORE BOLD. ACTS 4:31,
        —THEY GREW MORE CHRIST-LIKE AND ALIKE. 1 COR. 1:10.
        —THEY WERE SEPARATE FROM THE WORLD WHEN THEY
               WERE WITH ONE ANOTHER. 2 COR. 6:14.

5. SEEKING GOD CASTS AWAY FEARS.    V. 4.
   A. HOW SHOULD WE SEEK THE LORD ?
        —WITH ALL HEART AND SOUL. DEUT. 4:29
               (THROUGH THE MORTAL AND ETERNAL PARTS OF US).
        —IS A CONTINUAL TASK. 1 CHRON. 16:11
        —IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THOSE WHO WANT TO SEE GOD
               BLESS A NATION. 2 CHRON. 15:13. KING ASA.
        —IS AN INDIVIDUAL CHOICE. 2 CHRON. 20:3, EZRA 7:10.
        —WHEN HE SAYS IT IS TIME. HOSEA 10:12.
        —SEEK DILIGENTLY [=CRAVE, HUNGER AFTER]. HEB. 11:6.
        —RECOGNIZES THAT THE DEVIL IS SEEKING, TOO. 1 PET. 5:8.
   B. MUST SEEK GOD, NOT RELATED ISSUES.
        —NOT OUR OWN PERSONAL BENEFIT. 1 COR. 10:33.
        —NOT RELIGIOUS ARGUMENTS, SIGNS, ETC. MARK 8:11.

6. SEEKING GOD REQUIRES US TO KNOW OURSELVES.    V. 6
   A. DO WE SEE OURSELVES AS POOR ? (COMPARED TO WHAT
        WE COULD BE). MATT. 5:3
   B. DO WE SEE OURSELVES AS NEEDY ? REV. 3:17
   C. DO WE KNOW WHERE TO TURN IMMEDIATELY IN TIME OF
        NEED ? (OR, DO WE TURN THERE AFTER ALL OTHER
        ALTERNATIVES ARE EXHAUSTED ?) MATT. 6:33, HEP. 4:16
   D. DO WE REMEMEBER THE LORD'S FAITHFULNESS IN TIME ? (HE
        HEARD YOU LAST TIME, DIDN'T HE ?) PS. 77:9, 10.
        —DO WE DESERVE CHASTENING ? PS. 119:75
        —DO WE THINK IT BECOMES OLD ? LAM. 3:23
        —DO WE THINK THERE ARE DAYS OF OMISSION ? PS. 92:2

7. QUALIFICATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE CONTINUAL PRAISE.
   A. EXPERIENCE. V. 6. "THIS POOR MAN . . ." NOT ALL. GEN. 30:27
        JAMES 1:6,7    ISAIAH 61:10. (APPLIES TO THE RIGHTEOUS.
        THIS POOR MAN - DAVID - WAS RIGHTEOUS THROUGH HIS
        FAITH IN CHRIST).
   B. RELATIONSHIP. V. 6. PS. 33:21, DAN. 3:23
   C. EXPECTATION (FAITH). V. 6.    2 TIM. 1:12 WITH 2 COR. 1:12

8. LEARNING FROM GOD IS A REASON TO PRAISE CONTINUALLY.
   A. IF LEARNING IS CONTINUAL, SO IS THE PRAISE !
   B. OBSERVATION IS A KEY TO LEARNING.
        —FROM SITUATIONS OF CRISIS. V. 7. PROV. 21:23,
               JOB 5:9, DEUT. 31:17.
        —FROM THE DAILY WALK OF PEOPLE. V. 8.
               PS. 107:38-44.
        —FROM GENERALIZATION ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE.
               V. 9. ROM. 9:27, 10:1, 21.
        —FROM THE ANIMALS. V. 10. PROV. 30:25-26,
               JOB 35:11, JOB 41:1, NUM. 22:30.
        —FROM SPECIFIC TEACHING. V.11, 1 COR. 11:14,
               2 SAM. 22:35, GAL. 6:6.

9. IF I AM BUSY DOING GOOD, I WON’T BE FAR FROM PRAISING GOD.
   A. KEEPING MY TONGUE FROM EVIL. HATE INVOLVED
        PROV. 26:28.
   B. KEEPING MY LIPS FROM SPEAKING GUILE. (DECEIT
        AND TREACHERY) 1 PETER 2:1, PS. 32:2, REV. 14:5.
   C. DEPARTING FROM EVIL. PROV. 16:6, JOB 28:28.
   D. DOING GOOD. HEB. 13:16, JAMES 4:17.
   E. SEEKING PEACE, AND PURSUING IT.
   F. RESULTS: GOD HEARS MY PRAYERS, GIVING ME
        EVEN MORE REASON TO PRAISE HIM ! V. 15.

          *THE FOLLOWING POINTS ARE BASED ON THE
              FEAR OF THE LORD BEING TAUGHT. V. 11.
     *PSALM 111:10, PROV. 1:7,
          —IT REQUIRES ACTION !
                    PROV. 8:13 — HATE EVIL
                    PROV. 14:26 — EXERCISE FAITH

10. DOING GOOD HAS ITS REWARDS.    V. 11-15, 17-22.
   CAN ONLY BE DONE THROUGH JESUS. ROMANS 3:12.
   *EPHESIANS 5:10 —THIS CAN BE PROVED !
   HEBREWS 13:16, I TIMOTHY 6:18, JAMES 4:17.
        —WHAT DOES IT MEAN ? MATT. 19:16-22
        —TO WHOM IS IT DONE ? LUKE 6:27, 33-35, GAL. 6:10.
        —BY WHOSE STANDARDS ? 2 COR. 10:13, EPH. 4:13
          (MATURITY). EXAMPLE IS JESUS. ACTS 10:38.

   A. IN PLEASING GOD. I THES. 4:1. HOW ? ROM. 8:8-9,
        ROMANS 12:1-3.
   B. IN EFFECTIVE PRAYERS. V. 15. JAMES 4:17.
   C. CLOSENESS WITH THE LORD. V. 18. JOB 8:20.
   D. DELIVERANCE FROM TROUBLES. V. 19.
        PS. 72:12, PS. 34:7,17,19, 2 TIMOTHY 4:18.
   E. REDEMPTION FOR THE SOUL. V. 22.
   F. PROMISE OF INNOCENCE. V. 22.
        (DESOLATE=Heb.“NOT-GUILTY”)

11. DOING EVIL HAS ITS’ PRICE.    V. 16.
   A. GOD IS AGAINST THEM.
   B. THEY ARE EASILY FORGOTTEN.
   C. THEY WILL BE FOUND GUILTY (DESOLATE). V.21
         3 JOHN 1:11.