Psalm 34:1-3

Thanks for sharing!

“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.