In The Word
Read: Psalm 34
The Lord, a Provider and the One Who Rescues Me.
A Psalm of David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
34 I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
3 Exalt the Lord with me,
And let’s exalt His name together.
4 I sought the Lord and He answered me,
And rescued me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
6 This wretched man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 Fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no lack of anything.
10 The young lions do without and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Who is the person who desires life
And loves length of days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears are toward their cry for help.
16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
To eliminate the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears
And rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 The afflictions of the righteous are many,
But the Lord rescues him from them all.
20 He protects all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil will bring death to the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will suffer for their guilt.
22 The Lord redeems the souls of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will suffer for their guilt.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
This psalm is best believed to have been written during the time when David was in the land of Gath before King Achish. Remember, Gath is where Goliath was from, and the people of Gath remembered David’s military victories. At this point, David was not commanding a great army, he only had a few men with him while running from King Saul. In spite of these circumstances, David chose for praise to be on his lips.
Praise keeps the focus off of ourselves and on the one who can move on our behalf. That one is God. God inhabits the praises of His people. Inhabit means to dwell in or take up residence. Regardless of the circumstances, He will inhabit them. Praise ushers in God’s presence. Scripture also tells us that in God’s presence is the fullness of joy and life-everlasting. Joy is what will carry us when the world around us looks grim. God’s presence also brings a peace that transcends our understanding. I am reminded of the peace that Jesus had while there was a storm around Him while he was sleeping in the boat. God’s presence also brings His physical protection to us. We see this as David closes out this psalm with verse 19. When we determine to praise God regardless of what we are walking through in life, God will give us peace, joy, and protection. Make it your business today to have God’s praise to be on your lips.