The Psalm of the Saved

Devotionals

Celebrating VBS Week

Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me;
let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:3 [CSB]

When David wrote Psalm 34, he thanked God for His deliverance and provided instruction for God’s people. This Psalm was used by the people of Israel in times of celebration when they experienced deliverance and it led to exuberant praise. It was a celebration of God’s presence, goodness, and protection of His people.

Why are we talking about this obscure Psalm? Because, the key verse for VBS this year is found in it:

Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me; let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:3. [CSB]

When you hear this verse, it makes you think that David wrote this in his office or on vacation, getting away from the stress of life remembering the goodness of God.

This is not David’s situation in these moments, and we learn this from the superscription of the Psalm, Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech, who drove him out, and he departed.” [Abimelech was probably a title given to rulers among the Philistines; the ruler’s proper name was Achish (1 Samuel 21:10)]. [EWC]

Where did David go after acting like a madman? David most likely wrote this Psalm in a cave getting away from people pursuing him, to take him out. It’s hard to believe this is the venue for this extraordinary Psalm, but David was a good writer in the tight spots of his life because of his intimate relationship with God. David was not perfect, but he was a man after God’s own heart, because no matter what he did, he always turned back to God.

The first three stanzas in Psalm 34 are a record of David’s response of gratitude to God for Saving His Life

[Psalm 34:1-3] I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

² I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad.³ Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me; let us exalt his name together.

In the first two verses David’s focus is intentional praise. You might be asking, what is intentional praise? The response of David here defines it as three disciplines of praise: making adoration of God a priority, celebrating Him, and humbling ourselves before Him. According to David, intentional praise leads to experiencing the joy of the Lord. “The idea of always praising God (v. 1) is similar to the apostle Paul’s exhortation to rejoice and pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:16–17). Glorifying God is not just for the fortunate; the afflicted should also hear David’s testimony and rejoice (v. 2b).” [BTSB]

We can’t forget when we read Psalm 34 that David was in a cave. This makes his response to the situation remarkable and is a great example concerning how we should respond to God when we are in distress.

How can we respond to a tough season in our lives like David did? Responding like David did is only possible when we recognize how big our God is. This week at VBS, there were five truths about God shared throughout the week that all of us need to hear:

Monday: I Am Important to God [God Sees Me]
Tuesday: I Can Trust God to Take Care of Me [God Cares About Me]
Wednesday: I Can Be Confident God Loves Me [God Loves Me]
Thursday: I Can Trust Jesus as My Savior [God Forgives Me]
Friday: I Don’t Have to Worry Because God Keeps His Promises [God is Faithful]

When you read these five declarations about God, how does it make you feel? Do you feel valued by God, cared for by God, confident in His love, forgiven by His grace, and empowered by His faithfulness to live life for His glory?

Hearing the kids this week giggling in the halls and listening to great relevant teaching about a God who loves them so much, has been incredibly encouraging. Learning about God’s promises for them at such a young age are golden moments where the Holy Spirit can do some great work in their hearts.

Now, back to Psalm 34 . . . David continues as he writes the next part of the Psalm, celebrating His personal deliverance and the joy and absence of shame found in God’s presence:

[Psalm 34:4-7] I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears.⁵ Those who look to him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. ⁶This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles.

⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them.

Then David makes an invitation for everyone who would ever read his proclamation from the cave:

[Psalm 34:8-10] ⁸ Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him! ⁹ You who are his holy ones, fear the Lord, for those who fear him lack nothing. ¹⁰ Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.

I read some great insight this morning about the use of the Hebrew word for “good”, found in verse 8:

The Hebrew word for good (tov), . . . is wonderfully wide. When God spoke creation into being, and ordered it to work as it should, he called it “good” (Genesis 1:4). The word tov appears seven times in Genesis 1, showing the complete goodness of God’s creation. At the end of six days of creation, God saw that all he had made was “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Describing the majesty and wonder of creation as “good” helps us understand the scope and weight of this small word. To say God is good is not mundane. God’s goodness speaks to the way he relates to his creation and creatures. The fact that God is good fills us with hope that He is strong and faithful. As Psalm 34:8 says, God’s goodness means we can take refuge in Him.

There is so much brokenness and hurt in the world. What could be better news than that the God over all, who holds the future in his hands, is good? God will not give his creation up to mere chance. Just as He is good, His plans are good. The universe is not run by an impersonal force; it is held in the loving hands of a God who is sovereign and good. [NIVAB]

The Final Three Stanzas of the Psalm are a Call to the Sanctified Life. Notice the proclamation of the presence of God in our daily lives through the end of this Psalm of David:

[Psalm 34:11-14] ¹¹ Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.¹² Who is someone who desires life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good?¹³ Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech.

¹⁴ Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.

[Psalm 34:15-18] ¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry for help. ¹⁶The face of the Lord is set against those who do what is evil, to remove all 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 the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.

[Psalm 34:19-22] ¹⁹One who is righteous has many adversities, but the Lord rescues him from them all. ²⁰ He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.

²¹ Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.

²² The Lord redeems the life of his servants, and all who take refuge in him will not be punished.

I love the start of these last three sections of the Psalm, “Come, children, listen to me . . .” I think that encapsulates the motivation of VBS week: challenging the precious children who attend to learn how to listen to a God who they can trust and keeps His promises and will teach them how to enjoy what is good!!

In these last sections, David just can’t help himself. He just starts proclaiming the greatness of our BIG God: He is watching over us, He is listening to our cry, He is fighting against evil, He is near to the brokenhearted and those crushed in spirit, He rescues us from all adversity, He protects us, He redeems us.

This week has been focused on helping the children to recognize that God loves them no matter what and wants a relationship with them. They were created by a good God to do great things in relationship with Him. What a great way to spend a week: equipping our kids for the “good” life defined by God and God alone.

Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me;
let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:3 [CSB]

And all God’s people said . . . Amen!

Pastor Chuck

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Enduring Word Commentary [EWC], David Guzik [found at https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-34/]

The Psalm of the Saved

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