The Eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous

As noted by previous authors in this series on Psalm 34, David wrote the psalm after He escaped the Philistine king, Achish, at Gath. The events leading up to David’s escape are detailed in 1 Samuel 21. Reading these events adds meaning and understanding to David’s outpouring of thanksgiving in this Psalm 34.

As Chapter 21 opens, David is in the House of the Lord seeking provision and protection from King Saul. In an act of self-preservation, David lies to the priest concerning the reason for his visit. From there, he flees to Gath seeking protection and anonymity from Israel’s enemy— the Philistines. There, in front of the Philistine king, David feigns humiliating madness, and escapes with his life.

Although we weren’t “on the run,” like David, I see aspects of his story reflected in my family’s experience with unemployment and financial hardship. I am reminded in Psalm 34:15-18 of God’s grace and mercy as He listens, defends, delivers, and saves His children.

My family’s story begins in December 2009; the housing bubble burst, and my husband, who worked for a large, mid-western homebuilder, brought home a pink slip— just in time for Christmas.

God sees and listens.

Looming bills, a mortgage, and Christmas gifts became mountainous hurdles, without a paycheck.  For the sake of our young girls, we made the most of the “extended vacation,” but late at night, we prayed and cried out to God for help.

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 a powerful weapon for personal protection through Ahimeleck, the priest in the House of the Lord.  When we needed it most, God provided consulting jobs for my husband and increased sales from my work-from-home business. I even secured additional employment that relieved our strained budget through Spring.

God defends.

Along with financial stress, negative thoughts plagued my husband as his unemployment stretched longer. Where David faced an opposing king and army in Gath, my husband faced tough adversaries named Grief, Inadequacy, and Depression.

A steady stream of negative reinforcement fought hard against him.

“You should have saved more.”
“Didn’t you see it coming?”
“You are a bad money manager.”

In the face of self-condemnation, God’s Word provided a sure defense:

…but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,

to blot out their name from the earth. Psalm 34:16

Buoyed by Scripture, the Holy Spirit strengthened our spiritual muscles; teaming together, our marriage strengthened, and the smallest of provisions prompted thanksgiving. God provided friends who encouraged and prayed for us. At times, weary from the struggle, God’s presence offered comfort and hope.

God delivers.

Although it took six months to find a new job, we had four weeks to pack up our house, say goodbye to friends, and hug our extended family before moving more than a thousand miles from home and family to southern California. I can testify to God’s promise in Psalm 34:17:

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;

he delivers them from all their troubles.

In this verse, the Hebrew word for “delivers” means “to snatch from trouble.” Between David’s quick thinking and God’s rescue, David averted trouble in Gath. Similarly, a new job and a cross-country move delivered us from our immediate financial woes.

God saves.

Just as David’s self-reliance and poor choices prompted David’s circumstances in 1 Samuel 21, our family’s period of unemployment revealed poor stewardship of our resources. Answering prayers about living closer to family, God moved us to Florida, where we could work through lingering financial issues in a supportive environment.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

The Hebrew word for “saves” in Psalm 34:18 means “to set free.” Financial brokenness was God’s opportunity to free us from enslaving attitudes and choices. Furthermore, God drew near as we openly wept over our disobedience, and refreshed us with forgiveness and love when we relinquished our will for His.

Study and Reflect

1. Read 1 Samuel 21. Outline the chapter.
2. Find a trusted commentary and dig deeper in 1 Samuel 21 and Psalm 34. Blue Letter Bible offers great resources.
3. Have you experienced God’s listening, defending, delivering and saving? Journal about it or write your experiences on note cards to keep handy when you need a reminder of God’s care for you.

What do you love most about the verses in this passage? Tell us in the comments or in our DoNotDepart Community on Facebook.