Category: Psalm 34

“I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.”

I’m excited that you have joined us for our Psalms series as we journey into Psalm 34. Now’s a great time to forward/share with your friends so they can jump in with you! You can invite friends to Like the Freedom For Today Facebook page too.

Psalm 34 is interesting because David wrote it during the time he was trying to avoid harm from Abimelech by acting super crazy. Like drooling on himself on purpose kinds of stuff. You can read more about it in 1 Samuel 21 (the names might confuse you, but the differences may relate to titles versus the use of first names). In this Psalm we see David’s desperation — he was willing to take drastic actions in order to stay out of harms way. This psalm shows us what what going on in David’s mind during that scary time.

In light of this, I find it interesting that David starts with, “I will praise the Lord at all times.” All. Even when I am scared and having to go to great lengths to avoid being killed. David uses the word “helpless,” revealing to us that he felt totally powerless in those moments and unsure if his strategy would really work. His advice? “Take heart… tell of the Lord’s greatness… exalt his name.”

Here’s your freedom for today: praising God is a great response to helplessness. Sometimes it is literally the only thing we have the power to do. There is so much of life we cannot control. So many possible dangers that could take us out at any moment. Our efforts to protect ourselves can only get us so far, but what goes on in our minds and our spirits is far more important. If I can utter a word of praise to God in a moment of desperation, I have access to a spiritual power that cannot be defeated. It may not change my physical powerlessness, and it may not eliminate my suffering in that moment, but it will supernaturally stop evil from overtaking my heart and mind. Say a word of praise today, especially if you are facing a challenge or trial. There is nothing you can do to aggravate Satan more than that.

“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.”

In his most desperate time of need, David cries out to God and gets an answer back. And not just a basic “yes” or “no”… he gets handed freedom. Yay! My favorite word! Freedom from what? Fear. Not just one fear. All his fears. Like the mind-racing, can’t-sleep, running-for-your-life kinds of fears. Gone. Pretty great answer.

No wonder after this supernatural encounter David experiences radiant joy, release from shame, and a grateful heart. There is such a clear understanding in this passage that God has truly saved David. He saved him from the trouble surrounding him on the outside and he saved him from the turmoil he was experiencing on the inside. Once again David also acknowledges the reality of angel protection which surrounds and defends him.

Here’s your freedom for today: supernatural freedom is possible even in the most desperate of times. Perhaps it is even more accurate to say that it is especially possible in desperate times. There is something about a weakened physical state that makes more room for God to show up. When we get to the ends of our rope, the only answer left is a supernatural one. God loves to save you, and he’ll do it over and over again. Cry out in those desperate moments and see how God will rescue you in his compassionate grace.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.”

Think back to the last moment you took a bite of something incredibly delicious. My favorite would be a sweet, juicy strawberry dipped in just a tiny bit of sugar. The experience of tasting something worth savoring is only a hint at what it is like to sit in the presence of God. I have experienced this deep sense of peace, joy and safety just being with God. When you taste him just a little, you crave more and more of his goodness to fill you.

The next verse tells us that “those who fear him will have all they need.” So of course we have to ask, “What does it mean to fear God?” This isn’t the afraid kind of fear where you are in danger — David just established that God is a safe refuge. True fear of the Lord is perhaps the total awareness of what it would be like if God ever left your side. All of that goodness and safety just gone in an instant. That kind of fear makes you do everything possible to stay near him. We have a final image of young lions staying close to their parents in order to be provided for. These little cubs go hungry when the catch is sparse, but with God we will never experience this lack.

Here’s your freedom for today: God has plenty and he likes to share. Right now God has all the resources to care for your needs. He may not give you everything you want (my kids want candy for breakfast and I say no…). But stay close in his presence and you will get eternal provision of faith, hope and love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 reminds us that God doesn’t give gifts that will wear out. He has it all for you right now and he’s handing it out for free. Go ahead, take a taste of God today — drink in his goodness for just one moment of freedom.

“Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord. Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.”

We just talked about fearing God in yesterday’s post — the sobering reality that without God we are completely without provision and hope. These verses give us even more of an understanding of what it means to fear God: stay away from evil.

Evil is a pretty loaded word that sounds scary and bad. But the one specific example we have in this passage is lying. We’ve probably all lied at some point in our lives, so we are desensitized by now. Lies are in the “evil” category, as are speaking about sinful things and engaging in anything that destroys peace. How do we avoid evil? Do good. God’s goodness is the model for who we can become.

Here’s your freedom for today: you have the opportunity to live in a different kind of world. Evil surrounds you, but you can turn away from it. Conflict and war are rampant here, yet we can search for peace and work to maintain it. God’s kingdom is real right now even as we continue to live in an evil-driven world. Do good today. Usher in God’s kingdom by bringing peace to those around you. Reject evil in every form as you do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God (see Micah 6:8).

“The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

Good versus evil. It’s one of the most commonly seen movie plots and has been in stories throughout the centuries. God makes it clear that he is on the side of those who do the right thing, but he stands in opposition to those who do evil. Yet we know from Romans 3 that we are all sinners and not one of us can be considered righteous. So before we go using today’s passage as a platform for thinking we are “good enough” for God, let’s take a deeper look.

Those who “do right” are later referred to as “his people,” and at the end of the passage we see the words “brokenhearted” and “those whose spirits are crushed.” All of these words describe the people God is going to stand with: the downtrodden, marginalized, victimized, broken and crushed people who are following God’s ways in spite of the way the world is treating them. And do you know who God opposes? Those who have done the oppressing, abusing, breaking and crushing. God has no place for this kind of evil.

Here’s your freedom for today: God sees you and is drawing close to you. Are you hurting today? Have you been harmed? Are you seeking comfort and protection from God? Then you can be certain he hears your prayers and is in the midst of rescuing you. If your heart is broken, God will mend it. Just hold still and keep doing what is right — in the end God will bring the justice you are longing for.