Read Psalm 34. Take your time and meditate on each verse.
David wrote this Psalm during a very difficult period in his life. He and his men were being hunted by king Saul. They were hiding out in caves, and they had run out of food. Think about the fact that David was homeless and starving when he wrote these words:
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.
Psalm 34 :1-3
How was David able to praise God even under these terrible circumstances? Because he knew God’s character. Throughout Psalm 34, David focuses on three aspects of God’s character: His faithfulness, His grace, and His justice.
God’s Faithfulness.
David experienced God’s faithfulness firsthand. When he was a boy, God helped him defend his father’s flock from vicious predators. As a young man, God gave him victory over the giant, Goliath.
So when David’s situation became desperate, he did not despair. He knew that God is faithful. He trusted that God would deliver him. This gave him strength, and alleviated his fears.
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.
Psalm 34: 4-7
Life is full of ups and downs, but in times of hardship, remember that God is in control, and He is faithful.
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.
The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
Psalm 34: 17-19
2) God’s Grace.
Grace means unmerited favor or kindness. David understood that he was a sinful man, and that he had done nothing to earn God’s favor. He was ever in awe of God’s great mercy and love, and he knew he didn’t deserve it (see Psalm 51).
But David knew the grace of God.
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.
Psalm 34: 8-10
For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!
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But the Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalm 34: 20 & 22
Like David, we should marvel at God’s grace. We are nothing but rebellious sinners, yet God offers us redemption and mercy. Salvation comes only through God’s grace (Ephesians 2: 8-9).
3) God’s Justice.
David saw wicked men around him prospering while he himself suffered. But he knew that God is just, and that the wicked would pay in due time.
God is loving and patient, and He wants people to repent and be saved (II Peter 3:9). But God is also just. Those who continue in their wicked ways and refuse God’s mercy will face His justice!
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.
Psalm 34: 15-16
Calamity will surely destroy the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
Psalm 34: 21
It may seem like the wicked prosper. They often do… for a season. But rest assured that one day God will judge them for their evil deeds.
So whatever you’re going through right now, do what David did and praise God because He is faithful, gracious, and just.
