1532) I have a confession to make. When I read the Bible, sometimes I shake my head. For example, Psalm 34. In this Psalm, David tells us to praise God all the time (vs. 1). God is great (vs. 3). He delivers us from all our fears (vs. 4). God delivers him from all his troubles (vs. 6). David goes on in the rest of the Psalm in a similar manner, so why would I shake my head?

Because if I’m honest, I don’t always believe I can praise God through everything. I am not released from all my fears. God does not seem to deliver me from all my troubles, etc. Because of this, it’s easy to discredit David and his attitude toward God because, after all, who can actually live, feel and think this way? David must have been a better follower of God than I am.

Perhaps we need to reflect on David a bit. Yes, he was a great man of God. He followed God’s laws and led God’s people as a good and just king, but David also made very poor choices. He committed adultery, tried to cover up to excuse his actions, and ultimately, murdered a man so he could take the woman who became pregnant with his child. After all, if he marries her after the death of her husband, no one would really know her child was his. THIS is the man who wrote all the things of Psalm 34. What a phony! But is he?

All the wrong choices David made had consequences, some very painful ones. David was also told God was behind these consequences and not just that life turned out the way it did. Now, do the words of Psalm 34 add up to what he’s experienced with God?

I think they do. How could a holy and just God offer grace and forgiveness to a man who was supposed to be one of the greatest spiritual examples to God’s people? Because God does offer grace and forgiveness. David knew this within his soul, and this alone would be enough to rejoice.

You can be a head shaker; God can take it. You can also choose to be a truth seeker and receive the gift of grace and salvation.