Today we conclude a three-part look into Psalm 34. As you may recall, Psalm 34 was written by David as a praise to God for protecting him when he needed to escape from King Abimelech. David had gone to Gath, a city of the Philistines, to escape from King Saul. Abimelech had welcomed him, but then men of the royal court reminded the king that David had led the armies of Israel against them. David then feared for his life, and feigned madness in order to safely escape. Now he was back in Israel where Saul continued to chase him. Who could he turn to for help and deliverance when he is surrounded by trouble and danger? Who can we turn to in our own situations? Let’s continue our look as we finish up Psalm 34.
When a young child is feeling scared or alone, or needs help, what do they do? Generally they will cry out for someone, usually their parents or older siblings, to help them. The need to cry out for help doesn’t end when we become an adult. Who do we turn and cry out to? Sometimes it is a friend or family member. At other times it may be an attorney, a politician, or the police. Maybe someone who can loan us some money. However, those sources for help do not always come through. Money lenders usually charge high interest, so you ultimately are worse off. The police may arrive too late, and an attorney or politician may not be able to help you. And as many of us have found out, friends and family often turn their backs on you, even in your hour of need. So where do we go? David found out early in his life that the only One who he could always depend on when in need was the Lord God (vs. 15-17). Our Heavenly Father wants His children to cry out to Him. When a crisis comes, cry out to God with a righteous heart.
One way that we can tell if someone might help us when we call out to them is if they turn their face to look at us. If they have no desire to help us, they pretend to not hear, and won’t look our way. However, if they care, they look towards us. God’s face shines on the righteous, the saved (Psalm 67:1-2), but His face is against the wicked unsaved (vs. 16).
Sometimes events in our life can leave us shaken and off-balance. David surely knew this feeling. He knew, though, that he was a child of God, and if we’re saved, we are, too, and as such God’s eyes are always on us, and He hears our prayers. It is a comfort to know that the God of the Universe loves us so much that He constantly sees what is going on in our individual lives, and He hears us when we cry out to Him for His help. Not only does He hear, but He responds.
When we are feeling the farthest away from God, that is when He is actually closest to us. David knew that the Lord was near to him, especially when he was feeling lonely and brokenhearted (vs. 18). So many people he had counted on to care about him and help him in his time of need had turned against him, but that was never the case with the Lord. No matter where David was, the Lord was near to him, and that is always the case for us. God does not abandon us in our times of crisis, for He has promised to save us, even in our darkest hour. He is a Rock whose presence we can depend on (Deuteronomy 32:4).
Do you have afflictions in your life right now? God has promised us that He will deliver us out of them all (vs. 19), not just some of them. A friend might help us with one thing, but not the other. They may offer you a ride somewhere, but if you need someone to shovel the snow on your walk, don’t ask, and certainly don’t bother if your problem is a serious one. However, the Lord promises to deliver us out of all of our afflictions!
Jesus is there for those who feel broken, lost, and crushed in spirit. He is greater than our brokenness, our feelings of being unloved, dejected, and lonely. Broken lives and broken hopes are precious in the Lord Jesus’ sight.
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