1
00:00:12,030 --> 00:00:14,950
Speaker 1: This is Donna Jones, and you are listening to That's

2
00:00:15,150 --> 00:00:17,870
Speaker 1: Just What I Needed. Hey, friend, if you've ever been

3
00:00:17,890 --> 00:00:20,770
Speaker 1: in a conversation where you've walked away thinking, wow, that

4
00:00:20,790 --> 00:00:23,500
Speaker 1: was just what I needed, you know how life-giving that

5
00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,000
Speaker 1: can be. Well, that's what this podcast is all about.

6
00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,280
Speaker 1: We're women who want to know, love, and follow God

7
00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,159
Speaker 1: in our real lives, but sometimes wonder just how to

8
00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:34,960
Speaker 1: do it. So each week, we'll talk about what following

9
00:00:34,979 --> 00:00:37,379
Speaker 1: God looks like in the midst of daily demands and

10
00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,589
Speaker 1: crazy cultural chaos. Because this isn't just what we need.

11
00:00:41,870 --> 00:00:46,650
Speaker 1: It's actually exactly what we need. Hey, hey, my friend,

12
00:00:46,690 --> 00:00:51,250
Speaker 1: and welcome to the podcast. Hey, if you ever feel like...

13
00:00:51,659 --> 00:00:55,020
Speaker 1: the craziness of this world or just the craziness of

14
00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,920
Speaker 1: people around you or the craziness of your circumstances make

15
00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,980
Speaker 1: you a little crazy, then this episode is for you.

16
00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,940
Speaker 1: Before we get into today's content, let me just remind

17
00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,179
Speaker 1: you that I would love to connect with you on

18
00:01:09,220 --> 00:01:12,410
Speaker 1: social media. On Instagram, I'm at Donna A. Jones, and

19
00:01:12,470 --> 00:01:15,250
Speaker 1: on Facebook, I'm at Donna Jones Speaker and Author. But

20
00:01:15,330 --> 00:01:17,470
Speaker 1: I would love for you also to jump over to

21
00:01:17,510 --> 00:01:21,410
Speaker 1: my website, donnajones.org, and sign up for my newsletter. I'll

22
00:01:21,430 --> 00:01:24,730
Speaker 1: be honest, I haven't sent one out in several months

23
00:01:24,750 --> 00:01:28,860
Speaker 1: because my life has been so crazy, speaking of things

24
00:01:28,900 --> 00:01:31,220
Speaker 1: that are crazy, but I am going to be sending

25
00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:35,000
Speaker 1: one out in the next few days. So go ahead

26
00:01:35,220 --> 00:01:38,910
Speaker 1: and sign up for that at donajones.org, where you can

27
00:01:38,970 --> 00:01:41,470
Speaker 1: also find lots of free resources. And hey, don't forget

28
00:01:41,510 --> 00:01:45,390
Speaker 1: to subscribe to this episode. You subscribe it, you share it,

29
00:01:45,470 --> 00:01:48,390
Speaker 1: you like it, all of those things that really helps

30
00:01:48,430 --> 00:01:51,870
Speaker 1: the algorithm and helps other people find it and get

31
00:01:51,910 --> 00:01:55,320
Speaker 1: encouraged by it. So share the podcast, subscribe to it,

32
00:01:55,410 --> 00:01:58,230
Speaker 1: like it, rate it, all those things. I would be so, so,

33
00:01:58,270 --> 00:02:00,780
Speaker 1: so honored if you would do that, my friend. So

34
00:02:00,810 --> 00:02:04,180
Speaker 1: thank you. Well, let's talk about when life makes us crazy.

35
00:02:04,380 --> 00:02:07,580
Speaker 1: There is a scripture that speaks directly to that. And

36
00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:12,800
Speaker 1: I know you're probably thinking, really? Where? Okay. And I

37
00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:18,250
Speaker 1: just love the backstory behind Psalm 34. It actually makes

38
00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:23,829
Speaker 1: me feel normal when I feel like I'm just kind

39
00:02:23,870 --> 00:02:25,769
Speaker 1: of losing my mind a little bit. I don't know

40
00:02:25,870 --> 00:02:28,710
Speaker 1: if you're like me. I suspect you are. That every

41
00:02:28,810 --> 00:02:31,029
Speaker 1: once in a while, you're just like, okay, why did

42
00:02:31,050 --> 00:02:33,130
Speaker 1: I do that? Why did I say that? Why did

43
00:02:33,169 --> 00:02:36,070
Speaker 1: I act that way? And in retrospect, you realize, oh,

44
00:02:36,330 --> 00:02:38,929
Speaker 1: all of the stress of the things that are going

45
00:02:39,030 --> 00:02:41,510
Speaker 1: on around you. And for you, maybe it's with your

46
00:02:41,550 --> 00:02:44,160
Speaker 1: kids or maybe it's with your job or maybe it's

47
00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,720
Speaker 1: in your home or maybe it's in your neighborhood or

48
00:02:46,740 --> 00:02:48,520
Speaker 1: maybe it's just all the stuff that you see on

49
00:02:48,580 --> 00:02:52,020
Speaker 1: social media. But for whatever reason, all of that has

50
00:02:52,419 --> 00:02:55,770
Speaker 1: conspired to just build up and build up and build

51
00:02:55,970 --> 00:02:58,559
Speaker 1: up and something in you just snaps. And you end

52
00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:03,400
Speaker 1: up saying and doing things that, in retrospect, you honestly

53
00:03:03,460 --> 00:03:07,510
Speaker 1: can't even believe that you said them or you did them.

54
00:03:07,710 --> 00:03:10,750
Speaker 1: And if you had been, quote unquote, in your right mind,

55
00:03:10,970 --> 00:03:15,049
Speaker 1: you would have never responded that way. Well, Psalm 34

56
00:03:15,050 --> 00:03:21,270
Speaker 1: gives us a picture of that exact thing happening to David. Yes, David,

57
00:03:21,470 --> 00:03:25,690
Speaker 1: the man after God's own heart. David, the Goliath slayer. David,

58
00:03:25,870 --> 00:03:30,190
Speaker 1: the author of Psalm 23. David had a moment where

59
00:03:30,770 --> 00:03:33,790
Speaker 1: all of his circumstances around him led him to a

60
00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:38,440
Speaker 1: place where he actually pretended that he was crazy. Psalm 34,

61
00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:42,160
Speaker 1: the backstory in my Bible says this. Psalm 34, it's

62
00:03:42,220 --> 00:03:45,080
Speaker 1: a Psalm of David regarding the time he pretended to

63
00:03:45,140 --> 00:03:48,960
Speaker 1: be insane in front of Abimelech who sent him away. Okay.

64
00:03:49,930 --> 00:03:52,120
Speaker 1: Can you even believe that's in the Bible? So here's

65
00:03:52,150 --> 00:03:56,430
Speaker 1: the backstory. David's life was crazy in the land of Israel.

66
00:03:56,590 --> 00:03:59,690
Speaker 1: And there were people pursuing him, wanting to take his life.

67
00:03:59,810 --> 00:04:04,850
Speaker 1: And so he fled into the land of the Philistines. Now, remember,

68
00:04:05,090 --> 00:04:09,810
Speaker 1: the Philistines are the people from whom Goliath came. He

69
00:04:09,850 --> 00:04:12,710
Speaker 1: went into enemy territory. Just pause from it. That's how

70
00:04:12,990 --> 00:04:18,940
Speaker 1: bad things were in his circumstances there. around his own situation,

71
00:04:19,060 --> 00:04:20,920
Speaker 1: his own home. So he actually fled to the land

72
00:04:20,940 --> 00:04:24,520
Speaker 1: of the Philistines. And because this was enemy territory, David

73
00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,919
Speaker 1: surely thought, well, if I walk in there in my

74
00:04:27,980 --> 00:04:29,919
Speaker 1: right mind, the first thing they're going to do is

75
00:04:29,980 --> 00:04:33,140
Speaker 1: kill me. And so as a result, he decided he

76
00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:37,080
Speaker 1: would pretend that he would be insane. And this way,

77
00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:41,170
Speaker 1: the Philistines would think that he was harmless. So that's

78
00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,090
Speaker 1: what he did. And of course, it didn't go well

79
00:04:44,130 --> 00:04:47,710
Speaker 1: for him doing that. But as a response, he ends

80
00:04:47,790 --> 00:04:51,550
Speaker 1: up writing Psalm 34. And we can learn so much

81
00:04:51,950 --> 00:04:55,550
Speaker 1: about how to handle ourselves, how to relate to God

82
00:04:55,990 --> 00:04:59,560
Speaker 1: after we have done something that was just a little

83
00:04:59,570 --> 00:05:02,660
Speaker 1: bit crazy. So here is what Psalm 34 said. I'm

84
00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:04,300
Speaker 1: going to read a portion of it, and then we're

85
00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:06,539
Speaker 1: just going to chat about the things that we can

86
00:05:06,580 --> 00:05:10,279
Speaker 1: learn from Psalm 34 and from David's experience. David said,

87
00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,370
Speaker 1: I will praise the Lord at all times. I will

88
00:05:13,450 --> 00:05:16,969
Speaker 1: constantly speak His praises. I will boast only in the Lord.

89
00:05:17,050 --> 00:05:20,029
Speaker 1: Let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us

90
00:05:20,070 --> 00:05:23,040
Speaker 1: tell the Lord's greatness. Let's exalt His name together. I

91
00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:27,360
Speaker 1: prayed to the Lord and He answered me. He freed

92
00:05:27,420 --> 00:05:30,690
Speaker 1: me from all my fears. Those who look to Him

93
00:05:30,810 --> 00:05:34,760
Speaker 1: for help will be radiant. No shadow of shame will

94
00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,540
Speaker 1: darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the

95
00:05:38,620 --> 00:05:41,880
Speaker 1: Lord listened. He saved me from all my troubles. For

96
00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,720
Speaker 1: the angel of the Lord is a guard. He surrounds

97
00:05:44,820 --> 00:05:48,650
Speaker 1: and defends all who fear him. Taste and see that

98
00:05:48,670 --> 00:05:51,570
Speaker 1: the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who

99
00:05:51,589 --> 00:05:54,490
Speaker 1: take refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you godly people,

100
00:05:54,589 --> 00:05:57,550
Speaker 1: for those who fear him will have all they need. Now,

101
00:05:57,589 --> 00:06:00,030
Speaker 1: I'll pause right there at verse 9. So this is

102
00:06:00,210 --> 00:06:04,820
Speaker 1: David after he is restored, and he's reflecting on his situation.

103
00:06:05,140 --> 00:06:08,120
Speaker 1: And David starts off by saying, Hey, gang, I'm going

104
00:06:08,140 --> 00:06:09,790
Speaker 1: to praise the Lord at all times. I'm going to

105
00:06:09,820 --> 00:06:12,589
Speaker 1: tell you about his praises. And then in verse 2,

106
00:06:12,589 --> 00:06:15,550
Speaker 1: he says, let all who are helpless take heart. In

107
00:06:15,589 --> 00:06:20,360
Speaker 1: the NIV, it says, let all the afflicted hear and rejoice.

108
00:06:20,580 --> 00:06:22,820
Speaker 1: So in other words, what David is saying, if you've

109
00:06:23,020 --> 00:06:27,200
Speaker 1: ever been afflicted, if you've lost heart, if you need hope,

110
00:06:27,380 --> 00:06:30,349
Speaker 1: if you feel like you're helpless, I've been there, David's saying,

111
00:06:30,630 --> 00:06:33,670
Speaker 1: I've been there. And it drove me to actually pretend

112
00:06:33,710 --> 00:06:36,400
Speaker 1: that I was an insane person. And I want you

113
00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,640
Speaker 1: just to come here. I want you to listen to

114
00:06:38,980 --> 00:06:40,720
Speaker 1: what I'm going to tell you because it's about to

115
00:06:40,740 --> 00:06:42,610
Speaker 1: give you help. It's about to give you hope. It's

116
00:06:42,650 --> 00:06:47,179
Speaker 1: about to restore your faith. David basically says, hey, come

117
00:06:47,300 --> 00:06:50,279
Speaker 1: and listen to this and let's exalt his name together.

118
00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:52,880
Speaker 1: Let's tell of the Lord's greatness. And then he moves

119
00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,240
Speaker 1: on to what he did. And this is where it

120
00:06:55,279 --> 00:07:00,430
Speaker 1: gets really practical for us. But actually, it's practical even

121
00:07:00,490 --> 00:07:05,530
Speaker 1: before this point in the sense that knowing that somebody

122
00:07:05,570 --> 00:07:09,600
Speaker 1: like David had a season of his life that he

123
00:07:09,620 --> 00:07:12,320
Speaker 1: looked back on and he thought, why did I do that?

124
00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,580
Speaker 1: I can't believe that was me, that I acted that way.

125
00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:19,910
Speaker 1: Just knowing that there was a person like David that

126
00:07:19,990 --> 00:07:23,250
Speaker 1: had that moment, that should give us some reassurance in

127
00:07:23,410 --> 00:07:27,870
Speaker 1: our imperfections, in our moments where we say and do

128
00:07:27,950 --> 00:07:32,140
Speaker 1: things that are not indicative of who we really are

129
00:07:32,380 --> 00:07:35,180
Speaker 1: or of whose we really are. And that there can

130
00:07:35,220 --> 00:07:38,820
Speaker 1: be hope and there can be restoration. And so David

131
00:07:38,870 --> 00:07:41,630
Speaker 1: goes on and he tells us what he did. And

132
00:07:41,650 --> 00:07:44,870
Speaker 1: he said, I prayed to the Lord and he answered me.

133
00:07:45,310 --> 00:07:48,870
Speaker 1: He freed me from all my fears. That's the New

134
00:07:48,910 --> 00:07:53,530
Speaker 1: Living Translation. But in the NIV, it says, I sought

135
00:07:53,650 --> 00:07:56,710
Speaker 1: the Lord and he answered me and he delivered me

136
00:07:56,750 --> 00:07:59,400
Speaker 1: from all my fears. Now, This is what I love

137
00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:03,400
Speaker 1: about this particular passage of scripture. David's life was a

138
00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:06,660
Speaker 1: hot mess. I mean, in a very real way, his

139
00:08:06,780 --> 00:08:09,850
Speaker 1: physical life was in danger. So this was a dire

140
00:08:09,900 --> 00:08:13,350
Speaker 1: circumstance and he needed deliverance from that, right? He needed

141
00:08:13,550 --> 00:08:16,010
Speaker 1: help from that. But I find it so interesting what

142
00:08:16,050 --> 00:08:18,810
Speaker 1: David said. He said, I sought the Lord and he

143
00:08:18,970 --> 00:08:22,110
Speaker 1: answered me. He delivered me from all my fears. He

144
00:08:22,270 --> 00:08:26,420
Speaker 1: doesn't say, I sought deliverance from the Lord. He says,

145
00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:30,170
Speaker 1: I sought the Lord. and he delivered me. See, there's

146
00:08:30,190 --> 00:08:35,180
Speaker 1: a difference between seeking deliverance and seeking the Lord, because

147
00:08:35,380 --> 00:08:38,180
Speaker 1: when we seek the Lord, he's the one that does

148
00:08:38,260 --> 00:08:41,140
Speaker 1: the deliverance. Now, I know there's a big thing called

149
00:08:41,300 --> 00:08:44,850
Speaker 1: deliverance ministry, and I'm not saying that that is not valid.

150
00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,330
Speaker 1: I believe that it absolutely is. But even in that,

151
00:08:48,730 --> 00:08:52,850
Speaker 1: we seek the Lord to deliver us. So maybe you're

152
00:08:52,890 --> 00:08:56,370
Speaker 1: facing a fear right now. Maybe you're facing a dire

153
00:08:56,390 --> 00:08:59,410
Speaker 1: circumstance right now. And you just want to be delivered

154
00:08:59,450 --> 00:09:03,110
Speaker 1: from it all. I get it. I get it. The

155
00:09:03,150 --> 00:09:06,530
Speaker 1: first step, though, is not to seek the deliverance. The

156
00:09:06,570 --> 00:09:09,429
Speaker 1: first step is to seek the Lord. And he says,

157
00:09:09,450 --> 00:09:12,520
Speaker 1: I sought the Lord and he answered me. He delivered

158
00:09:12,580 --> 00:09:16,260
Speaker 1: me from all my fears. Now, deliverance is an interesting

159
00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:20,260
Speaker 1: thing because we are used to things like Amazon Prime,

160
00:09:20,620 --> 00:09:25,480
Speaker 1: where we order something before 11 p.m. and it can

161
00:09:25,500 --> 00:09:29,050
Speaker 1: be delivered to us between... 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.

162
00:09:29,110 --> 00:09:32,609
Speaker 1: the next day. So we are a culture that has

163
00:09:32,670 --> 00:09:38,339
Speaker 1: gotten used to immediate delivery. But most often, delivery doesn't

164
00:09:38,410 --> 00:09:43,440
Speaker 1: come immediately. Now it can, but deliverance from our fears

165
00:09:43,620 --> 00:09:47,440
Speaker 1: or our anxieties or our worries or whatever it is

166
00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:49,780
Speaker 1: that has made you feel just a little bit crazy,

167
00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:56,620
Speaker 1: more often deliverance is like delivering a baby. There's a conception,

168
00:09:56,840 --> 00:10:00,500
Speaker 1: there's a first trimester, there's a second trimester. there's a

169
00:10:00,580 --> 00:10:05,580
Speaker 1: third trimester, then there's labor, and then there's early labor,

170
00:10:05,700 --> 00:10:11,300
Speaker 1: mid labor, late labor, transition, pushing, and then finally the delivery.

171
00:10:11,660 --> 00:10:15,640
Speaker 1: So delivery is a process when new life comes into

172
00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:18,939
Speaker 1: the world. And I think in the same way, that

173
00:10:19,100 --> 00:10:22,240
Speaker 1: when God is working on our hearts, on our souls,

174
00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:26,970
Speaker 1: on our character, that delivery is not as much like

175
00:10:27,110 --> 00:10:31,850
Speaker 1: Amazon Prime, but more like the delivery of a child.

176
00:10:32,230 --> 00:10:34,689
Speaker 1: It takes some time. But just because it takes some

177
00:10:34,730 --> 00:10:38,950
Speaker 1: time doesn't mean it's not happening. There is a point

178
00:10:39,270 --> 00:10:43,140
Speaker 1: where the delivery is complete. But again, David says, I

179
00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:47,150
Speaker 1: sought the Lord. And he answered me. He delivered me

180
00:10:47,230 --> 00:10:49,349
Speaker 1: from all my fears. So let me ask you a question.

181
00:10:49,670 --> 00:10:52,370
Speaker 1: On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you

182
00:10:52,470 --> 00:10:56,430
Speaker 1: rank yourself in terms of how much you're seeking the Lord?

183
00:10:56,450 --> 00:11:01,390
Speaker 1: Because if it's low, I would say, listen to the psalmist.

184
00:11:01,429 --> 00:11:05,179
Speaker 1: Listen to David. Do what David did. Seek the Lord.

185
00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:08,700
Speaker 1: Then David goes on and he says, those who look

186
00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:12,280
Speaker 1: to him for help will be radiant. Their faces will

187
00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,090
Speaker 1: never be covered with shame. Now, I love this because

188
00:11:15,150 --> 00:11:19,170
Speaker 1: if there was anyone in any circumstance where they would

189
00:11:19,250 --> 00:11:23,949
Speaker 1: be overcome with shame, it's King David, the king who

190
00:11:24,070 --> 00:11:28,950
Speaker 1: fled into enemy territory and pretended to be insane. I mean,

191
00:11:29,410 --> 00:11:33,400
Speaker 1: that's not only embarrassing, it could be shame-producing. And yet

192
00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:37,040
Speaker 1: he says, those who look to the Lord, their faces

193
00:11:37,100 --> 00:11:41,040
Speaker 1: are radiant. They're not covered with shame. So when we

194
00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,550
Speaker 1: seek the Lord... The Lord does not shame us. Now,

195
00:11:44,650 --> 00:11:47,590
Speaker 1: the Lord convicts us, but the Lord doesn't shame us.

196
00:11:47,610 --> 00:11:50,650
Speaker 1: He doesn't shame His children. And in fact, when we

197
00:11:50,809 --> 00:11:55,329
Speaker 1: look to Him, because we see the light in His eyes,

198
00:11:55,410 --> 00:11:57,849
Speaker 1: the light of love in His eyes, the light of

199
00:11:57,929 --> 00:12:02,030
Speaker 1: acceptance in His eyes, the light of help in His eyes,

200
00:12:02,130 --> 00:12:06,310
Speaker 1: the light of pleasure in His eyes, because we're actively

201
00:12:06,390 --> 00:12:10,380
Speaker 1: pursuing Him, we're actively seeking Him, What that does is

202
00:12:10,420 --> 00:12:14,559
Speaker 1: it causes us to be radiant. We reflect what's true

203
00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,320
Speaker 1: about him. It's kind of like the sun and the moon.

204
00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:20,540
Speaker 1: The moon doesn't have any light in and of itself.

205
00:12:20,710 --> 00:12:24,390
Speaker 1: The only reason the moon shines is because the sun

206
00:12:24,809 --> 00:12:27,430
Speaker 1: shines on the moon and then the moon reflects the

207
00:12:27,470 --> 00:12:29,660
Speaker 1: light of the sun. It's the same with us. I

208
00:12:29,700 --> 00:12:34,070
Speaker 1: don't have any light to shine, but when I am

209
00:12:34,110 --> 00:12:37,290
Speaker 1: in close relationship with the Lord, His light shines on

210
00:12:37,330 --> 00:12:41,270
Speaker 1: me and then I radiate Him to other people. So

211
00:12:41,330 --> 00:12:44,309
Speaker 1: those who look to Him, they're radiant and their faces

212
00:12:44,470 --> 00:12:47,150
Speaker 1: are not covered with shame. If you're listening to this

213
00:12:47,190 --> 00:12:51,610
Speaker 1: today and you have been overcome with shame, I want

214
00:12:51,630 --> 00:12:53,949
Speaker 1: to speak to you really personally right now. That is

215
00:12:54,010 --> 00:12:57,050
Speaker 1: not from your Father. That might be from your earthly father.

216
00:12:57,500 --> 00:13:00,500
Speaker 1: but that is not from your heavenly father. He wants

217
00:13:00,540 --> 00:13:03,059
Speaker 1: you to look to him. He wants to help you.

218
00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:06,199
Speaker 1: And he does not want your face to be covered

219
00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,959
Speaker 1: with shame. You're his daughter. And there is no shame

220
00:13:10,300 --> 00:13:13,830
Speaker 1: for the person who the very blood of Jesus Christ

221
00:13:13,870 --> 00:13:17,610
Speaker 1: has covered. David goes on and says, in my desperation,

222
00:13:17,710 --> 00:13:22,010
Speaker 1: I prayed and the Lord listened. Sometimes we have to

223
00:13:22,050 --> 00:13:24,250
Speaker 1: get desperate to pray. And you know what? There's nothing

224
00:13:24,270 --> 00:13:27,829
Speaker 1: wrong with that. So don't shame yourself for praying in

225
00:13:27,850 --> 00:13:32,630
Speaker 1: your desperation. David did. And when you're desperate, pray. That's

226
00:13:32,670 --> 00:13:36,340
Speaker 1: a motivation to seek the Lord and to cry out

227
00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:39,720
Speaker 1: to the Lord. And then David tells us something interesting

228
00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:42,900
Speaker 1: in verse 7. The angel of the Lord encamps around

229
00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,600
Speaker 1: those who fear him, and he delivers them. In the

230
00:13:45,740 --> 00:13:51,040
Speaker 1: Old Testament, most often when an angel is referred to,

231
00:13:51,059 --> 00:13:53,740
Speaker 1: it's an angel, a literal angel. But when the term

232
00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:58,130
Speaker 1: the angel of the Lord encamps, it's usually a reference

233
00:13:58,170 --> 00:14:01,089
Speaker 1: to the pre-incarnate Christ. So what this is saying is,

234
00:14:01,830 --> 00:14:05,699
Speaker 1: Jesus himself is encamping around you. You're crying out to him.

235
00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:10,220
Speaker 1: You're needing him to help you. You're going to him

236
00:14:10,380 --> 00:14:12,800
Speaker 1: as your refuge in the midst of all your crazy

237
00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:17,160
Speaker 1: circumstances that have made you just crazy. Then Jesus himself

238
00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,290
Speaker 1: is encamping around you. He's right next to you. And

239
00:14:24,180 --> 00:14:26,960
Speaker 1: and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the

240
00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:30,500
Speaker 1: one who takes refuge in him. This taste and see,

241
00:14:30,850 --> 00:14:34,030
Speaker 1: it's meant to help us understand that our relationship with

242
00:14:34,070 --> 00:14:37,090
Speaker 1: God is to be an experiential one. I mean, when

243
00:14:37,110 --> 00:14:42,070
Speaker 1: you taste something, you experience, whether it's sweet or sour

244
00:14:42,310 --> 00:14:46,550
Speaker 1: or salty or bland, you experience the taste. And when

245
00:14:46,590 --> 00:14:48,860
Speaker 1: you see something, it's the same thing. You have an

246
00:14:48,930 --> 00:14:51,960
Speaker 1: experience with that thing that you're seeing. So we're to

247
00:14:52,180 --> 00:14:56,240
Speaker 1: taste and see, to experience that God is good and

248
00:14:56,260 --> 00:14:59,320
Speaker 1: to know that all who take refuge in him are blessed.

249
00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:01,780
Speaker 1: My friend, I don't know what's going on in your

250
00:15:01,820 --> 00:15:04,280
Speaker 1: life right now. I don't know the circumstances. I don't

251
00:15:04,300 --> 00:15:07,400
Speaker 1: know the craziness in your home or in your community

252
00:15:07,540 --> 00:15:10,140
Speaker 1: or at your work. But I do know this, that

253
00:15:10,220 --> 00:15:14,740
Speaker 1: our circumstances profoundly affect us. They just do. We're human beings.

254
00:15:15,370 --> 00:15:18,570
Speaker 1: But there is a Psalm that can give us perspective

255
00:15:18,690 --> 00:15:22,410
Speaker 1: and hope and even a prescription for how to handle

256
00:15:22,530 --> 00:15:26,150
Speaker 1: life when it feels a little crazy. And as a result,

257
00:15:26,460 --> 00:15:29,540
Speaker 1: maybe we behaved in a little crazy way as well.

258
00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:35,360
Speaker 1: So Psalm 34 is a go-to Psalm for moments like this.

259
00:15:35,700 --> 00:15:38,660
Speaker 1: Pick up your Bible. I only did the first few verses,

260
00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:41,980
Speaker 1: but the rest of Psalm 34 is so beautiful. Psalm

261
00:15:41,980 --> 00:15:45,270
Speaker 1: 34 is the passage that says, the Lord is close

262
00:15:45,330 --> 00:15:48,970
Speaker 1: to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

263
00:15:49,030 --> 00:15:54,380
Speaker 1: That's that same Psalm. It is absolutely beautiful. It's life-changing.

264
00:15:54,650 --> 00:15:57,660
Speaker 1: And my friend, that's what the Bible does. That's what

265
00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:00,780
Speaker 1: God's Word does. It's not just something to be read.

266
00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:05,160
Speaker 1: It's something to be embraced. It's something to be applied.

267
00:16:05,300 --> 00:16:09,320
Speaker 1: It's something to change our life so that we not

268
00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:13,790
Speaker 1: only see God as He actually is, but And then

269
00:16:13,830 --> 00:16:17,229
Speaker 1: as a result, we're like David and we say, hey gang,

270
00:16:17,470 --> 00:16:20,140
Speaker 1: if you're afflicted, listen to what I have to say

271
00:16:20,260 --> 00:16:23,180
Speaker 1: and let's just exalt the Lord together because the Lord

272
00:16:23,420 --> 00:16:27,200
Speaker 1: helped me. The Lord saved me through his word, through

273
00:16:27,300 --> 00:16:30,310
Speaker 1: his deeds. And my prayer for you, my friend, is

274
00:16:30,690 --> 00:16:33,870
Speaker 1: that no matter what you are going through, you would

275
00:16:34,030 --> 00:16:38,290
Speaker 1: seek the Lord. Well, I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

276
00:16:38,470 --> 00:16:40,470
Speaker 1: I hope it was just what you needed. And as

277
00:16:40,510 --> 00:16:43,350
Speaker 1: a reminder, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast, share

278
00:16:43,370 --> 00:16:46,450
Speaker 1: it with a friend, and let's connect on social media,

279
00:16:46,510 --> 00:16:50,080
Speaker 1: Donna A. Jones at Instagram, Donna Jones Speaker and Author

280
00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:55,160
Speaker 1: on Facebook, DonnaJones.org. And as always, my friend, I can't

281
00:16:55,180 --> 00:16:57,980
Speaker 1: wait to see you next time for That's Just What

282
00:16:58,000 --> 00:16:58,340
Speaker 1: I Needed.