Psalm 34

Read Psalm 34

“I will bless the Lord at all times.” Before David was firmly established as the king of Israel, he was on the run. He was even forced to take refuge among the enemies of Israel. In this period of extreme stress, David repeatedly experienced the Lord's deliverance. He learned to humble himself and to find His stability in the praise of God.

David's life experience became a model that inspired others. The man who would be king sought the Lord in many different trials and found the God of Israel to be faithful. Though far from home, afraid, and poor, he found heavenly aid. “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.”

This young man who was chosen by God insisted that his life experience was not entirely unique to him. He urged all who would worship the Lord to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” They too would discover God's constant blessing and merciful provision.

David pleaded with those who would learn from his life. Did they desire to see the goodness of the Lord over the course of a long life? They should turn away from evil and do good. A commitment of humble obedience was a requirement for all those who wanted the Lord to hear their cries for help.

Psalm 34 did not promise the saints of the Lord that they would never face difficulties. God's greatest acts of deliverance could only be experienced within the context of significant trials. The Lord would hear the prayers of the faithful. He would be near the brokenhearted. He would save those who were “crushed in spirit.”

The life and death of Jesus of Nazareth, a descendant of David, would one day provide God's children the premier illustration of what it would look like to be a faithful servant of God. As David had written many centuries before, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” David concluded Psalm 34 with a detail that would find fulfillment in the death of Jesus on the cross: “He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” See John 19:36.

God has provided His people with a perfect refuge from eternal condemnation. The Lord has redeemed the life of His servants through the death and resurrection of the Messiah. Because of Jesus, we will bless the Lord at all times.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father God, We praise You in gladness and humility today. When we cry out to You, You hear us. We take refuge in You and lack no good thing. Grant us effectiveness as we would teach our children about Your ways. You will deliver us out of the many afflictions that are a normal part of the righteous life. We have tasted of Your goodness and have seen the wonder of Your glory.