Psalm 34:3. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
Well here we are, the first Sunday in this new year of 2021, and as always, we are gathering to give Almighty God thanks and praise for His wonderful blessings this past week and to ask for His continued grace, mercy and forgiveness throughout the upcoming one. But unfortunately, we’re still doing it through technological means, but as they say, better through technology, than not at all. (smile) And the Lord doesn’t really care how we gather either, once we gather in His name, to support, uplift, encourage and edify each other through the acknowledgment of His holy word. So let’s get underway without further unnecessary talk nuh. (smile)
And today’s song is a real favourite of mine, ever since I heard the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sing it last year. It’s titled ‘Psalm 34: O Taste and See that the Lord is good.’It’s a reworking of Bruh David’s words, when he changed his ways before Abimelech, the priest, who drove him away, and he departed to seek refuge amongst the Philistines, running from his nemesis, king Saul. The reworking was done by one Shane Barnard, and I absolutely LOVE how the BTC perform it. Nuff talk though, time for some sweet singing, sincere praising and worshipping, in rich, scintillating, harmonious voices. (smile) Let’s do it!
‘I sought the Lord And He answered me And delivered me From every fear. Those who look on Him Are radiant They’ll never be ashamed They’ll never be ashamed. This poor man cried And the Lord heard me And saved me from My enemies. The Son of God Surrounds His saints He will deliver them He will deliver them. Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good Oh blessed is he Who hides in Him. Oh fear the Lord Oh all you saints He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything.
(Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Repeat) (Let us bless the Lord Every day and night Never ending praise May our incense rise. Repeat 4 times) Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. {Repeat} Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. …He’ll give you everything…’
Oh Mama, Mama, Mama! Every time I hear that song, I…I can’t really describe my reaction nuh, like my spirits just rise, I get a high from it. (smile) It does touch me deep down inside, and I can’t play it just once – it’s so nice I have to play it at least twice, if not thrice. And that was a great rendition we just did there my people, heaven most definitely approved since they were singing along with us. And what I especially like about the psalm is the amount of truth it contains, the personal testimony of Bruh David.
As he says: ‘I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened (radiant): and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear (reverence) him, and delivereth them.’ (Ps. 34:4) Oh friends, the same goes for all of us who call upon the Lord in sincerity. He will answer us and deliver us from our fears, from our enemies, keep us radiant and not ashamed.
Yuh notice how Bruh David managed to keep escaping from Saul, and even had chances to kill Saul, but refused to touch the Lord’s anointed. That was the Lord’s doing. Just look at the first time Saul tried to kill him, in a fit of jealous rage with a javelin as Bruh David was making music for him. (1 Sam. 19:8-10) Yuh think an accomplished soldier like Saul would have missed at such close range. Not likely. But Bruh David was also the Lord’s anointed and couldn’t be touched by Saul since the Lord had other plans for him.
The same thing applies to us friends; no one, or nothing can keep us from our appointed destiny if we sincerely reverence the Lord. That’s why Bruh David could further declare in all sincerity: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.’ (Ps. 34:8-10) And that’s the gospel truth my brethren, to which many of us can testify.
Obviously we don’t get everything we want, especially if it’s out of God’s will, but whatever is in God’s will, we will get. That’s why in accordance with Bruh David’s words, we too can say: ‘O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’ (Ps. 34:3) Yes, that’s one of my favourite parts of the song: ‘Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever.’
Oh mih bredrin, I don’t know what else to say nuh. (smile) So I’ll just give us some more of Bruh David’s magnificent words. ‘Come ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and LOVETH many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit). Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.’ (Ps. 34:11-14)
And the best way to ensure that kind of behaviour in our lives my fellow saints in Christ is to ‘Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever.’ Yes, if we keep singing His praises, we won’t get into too much trouble.
So let’s go home doing just that nuh: ‘Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever… Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever.’ Let’s not stop doing that this year of 2021. Much LOVE!
…let us bless the Lord…every day and night…never ending praise…may our incense rise…