Psalm 34 Archives - Do Not Depart

Psalm 34 Taste and See – Study Wrap Up

December 1, 2018 by Ali Shaw Leave a Comment

All this month on the blog we’ve been doing a mini-study of Psalm 34 titled “Taste and See.” Here’s a recap with links to each post in our study.

Intro and Psalm 34:1-3

In this post, I give a little background information for this psalm that David penned. I also expand on the first three verses, looking for actions that David listed: Bless the Lord, Boast in the Lord, and Magnify the Lord. David said that he would “bless the Lord at all times.” Will we do likewise?

Psalm 34:4-7

David reminds us all of what to do when fear creeps in. When David feared, he made a choice of faith to seek God.

God always hears us when we cry out to Him. Our job is to make sure that we do go to Him. And when we do, we don’t have to be afraid that our prayers hit the ceiling and fall back down. Though we may not get the answer we are looking for, be certain: God hears us! He will answer in the perfect way, in the perfect time. And not only does He answer us, He also protects us.

Psalm 34:8-10

Taste. See. Engage personally and know for yourself: The Lord is good. Not the superficial good based on circumstance or perspective, but good in the wider sense. As in, when God finished creating the heavens and the earth, looked at it all and called it good (Genesis 1:31 ).

David reminds us that true refuge is found in the Lord who is good.

In Him, we lack no good thing! He can be trusted because He is capable of delivering on all His promises.

Psalm 34:11-14

Do you want to love life and see good things? Worship the Lord. And how do we worship an invisible being?

David keeps it simple.

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”Psalm 33:13-14

In other words: Mind your mouth. Discipline your doings. Living our lives to honor the Lord will help us see more goodness.

A holy life begun now will continue forever into the afterlife.

Psalm 34:15-18

The Lord’s eyes are on the righteous. When we pray and cry to God for help, He sees and listens!

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

and his ears are attentive to their cry… Psalm 34:15

Seeing David in his time of need, God provided David with sustenance and protection. God defends us, delivers us, and saves us— just like He did for David! God draws near us and refreshes us with forgiveness and love when we relinquish our will for His.

Psalm 34:19-22

God is our refuge and redeemer! We know that deliverance from some of our troubles may not be seen this side of heaven, but we can be confident that God will fully deliver us from all suffering in eternity!

And in Christ, no matter how broken we may feel, God preserves us, and makes us whole. Our faith helps us to patiently endure the trials of life.

The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,

And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned. (Psalm 34:22 )

Yes, though we are sinners, we can be confident that we NOT condemned, because Jesus is our refuge! Thoughtrouble is certain in this earthly life, God protects us, and redeems all our suffering.

And that is good news to “taste and see!”

Thanks for joining us this month! Please share your thoughts on this series in the comments below or in our DoNotDepart Community group on Facebook.

Blessings!

Taste and See The the Lord is Good. A mini-study of Psalm 34 on DoNotDepart.com #Psalm34TasteAndSee

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Our Refuge and Redeemer (Psalm 34:19-22)

November 29, 2018 by Patti Brown Leave a Comment

As we come to the final verses of Psalm 34, our eyes turn toward eternity…

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

He keeps all his bones;

    not one of them is broken.

Affliction will slay the wicked,

    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

The Lord redeems the life of his servants;

  none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Psalm 34:19-22

Our Refuge and Redeemer: a study on Psalm 34:19-22

God Delivers Us From Affliction

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19)

Friends, if someone tells you that your challenges are a punishment, and that if you were more holy you would not suffer, remember this passage. The righteous do indeed have afflictions. Saying that life’s challenges are a result of not enough prayer or godliness is bad theology.

We can take heart, because verse 19 also reminds us that God delivers the righteous from ALL his afflictions. We know that deliverance from some of our troubles may not be seen this side of heaven, but we can be confident that God will fully deliver us from all suffering in eternity!

God Preserves Us

He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
(Psalm 34:20)

Scholars differ on the intent of this verse. Most agree that the literal and literary implications are that in context it refers to all righteous men, not THE righteous man, Jesus Christ. Writing on this verse, Augustine said, “Bones are the firm supports of the faithful. For as in flesh our bones give firmness, so in the heart of a Christian it is faith that gives firmness. The patience then which is in faith, is as the bones of the inner man: this is that which cannot be broken.”

In Christ, no matter how broken we may feel, God preserves us, and makes us whole. Our faith helps us to patiently endure the trials of life.

John, in chapter 19 of his gospel, does detail the fact that Jesus’ bones were not broken after He was crucified. It is noteworthy that the bones of the sacrificial lamb at Passover were commanded to not be broken (Exodus 12:36, Numbers 9:12), a fact that would not have been unnoticed by Jewish Believers.

Unforgiven Sin Exacts the Ultimate Price

Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
(Psalm 34:21)

In the end, the wicked will be ruined by the evil they do. Sin exacts an eternal price!

“…and be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23b)

Make no mistake: there is always hope for redemption, even for those who have done great evil. All have the freedom to choose redemption through Jesus Christ! But those who persist for all their earthly days to sin against God and persecute His people will ultimately pay in eternity.

God is Our Refuge and Our Redeemer

The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
(Psalm 34:22)

You and I are sinners too, but as willing servants of the most high God, we have been redeemed by Jesus’ blood! Jesus is our refuge – we tuck ourselves into His arms (we abide!) and are safe.

If you were to stand trial today before a heavenly jury for your wrongdoings, you would be convicted: GUILTY! But in a trial, after a verdict is found, a sentence must be handed down by the judge. And dearest child of God, even though you are guilty of sin, you are NOT condemned, because Jesus is your refuge!

Bless the Lord at All Times

Last week, after 101 years of faithfulness, a precious son of God we know slipped away to Jesus for eternity. He experienced many afflictions in his life, and certainly in his later years, as his body deteriorated, many of them were physical. Yet this dear brother has now been completely delivered from every affliction, physical and otherwise. In his earthly life he praised God continually. Now, face to face, he praises Him for eternity.

Friend, trouble is certain in this earthly life, but God protects us, and redeems all our suffering. Indeed we can say, from the moment words first form in our mouths, to the evening of our lives when like the setting sun we fade, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1)

FOR STUDY AND REFLECTION

Make a list of all the things Psalm 34:19-22 says God will do. What do these actions show about His character?
Share with someone about a time God delivered you from an affliction.
What do you think of Augustine’s analogy of faith being like the soul’s bones?
Numbers 32:23b says “…and be sure your sin will find you out.” What do you think this means? Have you observed this?
What does it mean to you to “take refuge” in God”? You may find doing a word study gives you insight.

Trouble is certain in this earthly life, but God is our refuge. #Psalm34TasteAndSee

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God Delivers Us From All Our Fears

August 14, 2012 by Kathy Howard 6 Comments

God delivers us from our fears — FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Years ago, my husband and I were camping with our two preschool daughters in the mountains of Wyoming. Sometime after midnight, noise in the camp woke me. When I whispered a question to my husband over the heads of our sleeping girls, his hushed but urgent reply quickly told me our nighttime visitor was much larger than a raccoon.

The light from the full moon cast a clear silhouette of the large black bear as she sniffed her way around the perimeter of our tent. I could see the movement of the nylon fabric and even hear her breathe as she passed close to me. Fear kept me from moving, but it also prompted prayer for protection. God heard and answered and the bear moved on.

David knew fear

David, the psalmist, knew the fear of facing wild animals to protect his sheep. He also knew the fear of hiding from murderous King Saul and fighting the ferocious Philistines. Through all this, David took his fear to God. And God heard, answered, and delivered.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
⁵Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
⁶This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

Psalm 34:4-7, NIV

The LORD “encamps around those who fear Him” (Ps 34:7). When we trust God with our fears, He establishes a protective enclosure around us. The bear may have been close that night in Wyoming, but God was closer.

God Delivers Us

All of us experience fear. Sometimes the uncertainty of the future causes dread. Sometimes terrifying circumstances shake the most courageous among us. But we have a safe place to run when fears assail. God promises to establish Himself between us and that which threatens us.

Do you have a fearful challenge or a fierce battle before you now? You can take courage in the knowledge that God is overwhelming stronger than the person, situation, or circumstances you fear. As you follow God, you can have confidence in the strength of Him who leads the way.

God doesn’t promise we will never face fearful circumstances, but He does promise to deliver us through them. What is the difference?