Have you ever messed up and felt unforgivable? Sadly, I have. When my daughter was twelve, I walked into the house with my arms full of groceries and tripped over her backpack, nearly falling. Rather than simply asking her to put it away, I lost my temper and barked at her about being more respectful. As the words flew from my mouth, I noticed the new friend she’d invited over and the look of horror on her face, and I was reminded of David when he wrote Psalm 34.
Whenever I’ve made mistakes, I’ve felt unworthy of God’s love and wanted to run from Him due to my shame. But when I read Psalm 34, I find genuine encouragement because it demonstrates God’s grace. It shows God is with us, helping, healing, and delivering us, even when we are at our worst. All that is needed is a humble, repentant heart seeking God.
Biblical Context of Psalm 34
David wrote Psalm 34 after defeating Goliath. People hailed him a hero, and God anointed him as the future king of Israel. This angered King Saul, so he attempted to murder David. Thus, David fled to Gath. But the people of Gath remembered David’s heroism and sang songs about him. This made David fear Achish, (Abimelech) king of Gath, so he pretended to be insane to escape (1 Sam. 21:10-15).
This was not an honorable time for David, as he used deceit to escape. He was alone, afraid, and wallowing in weaknesses. Despite this, he wrote Psalm 34 full of gratitude and praise toward God. David reminds us, “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame” (verse 5). David’s example inspires us not to allow our mistakes to keep us from sharing about God.
What This Psalm Is About
Psalm 34 is an alphabetic acrostic in which each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This made it easier for people to remember it for oral recitations. This psalm has two sections: praise and instructions about who God is and how we should respond.
Verses 1 – 8 make up a song in which David praises God and encourages others to worship with him. David worships God for saving him mentally and physically. David thanks God for delivering him from fear and shame (verses 4-5) and proclaims, “This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles” (verse 6).
In verse 8, David shifts towards instruction about God when he invites us to “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” The Hebrew word for taste is “ṭāʽam” which means to discover by experience, much as one would taste a new food.
In verses 9-22, David teaches others to fear God and avoid his mistakes. He advises us to tell the truth, keep from evil, do good, and seek peace (verses 13-14). David states that God keeps watch over His people and delivers them, body and soul. “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (verses 17-18).
What This Psalm Teaches About God
In Psalm 34, David shows God is merciful because, despite his sin, the Lord saved him. David also gives us a mental picture of God’s love when he states, “Blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him” (verse 8). The phrase translated here as “take refuge” means “to hide oneself,” much as a small child is wrapped up and protected in her parents’ loving arms.
David illustrates that God is worthy of our worship because he hears our pleas and saves us. God is our rescue and refuge. He is Good and a God of justice. He is against those who do evil but for those who seek and fear Him. God also gives us hope because He promises to save us from evil and oppressive situations.
How We Can Apply Psalm 34 To Our Lives
We can apply Psalm 34 by following David’s example. We can make a habit of praying. When we make mistakes, as I did with my daughter, we can run toward God instead of away. God honors and forgives a humble and repentant heart. “The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned” (verse 22).
Like David, we can reflect on God’s goodness and past provisions. This will increase our gratitude toward God in all circumstances, great and grave. We can also follow David’s example of sharing our testimony and teaching others about God’s goodness and promises. Finally, we can seek to experience a close relationship with God and express His love toward everyone.
Psalm 34 is a powerful illustration of God’s goodness, love, and mercy. As believers in Jesus, we, too, have God’s grace, mercy, and protection. But unlike David, we have been set free from the law. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1). All we must do to receive this freedom and forgiveness is declare with our mouths, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead. Then, we will be saved. (Romans 10:9) And that is truly a reason to praise God!
