Introduction
Looking for work, getting engaged, moving, and financial strain, which keeps me awake at night wondering how I’ll make ends meet—these are significant burdens that have made me feel stressed and overwhelmed. What unrelenting pressures are you facing right now: strained relationships, the loss of a loved one, or the relentless challenges of parenting? In the face of life’s many trials, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and anxious. We never know what the future holds, which makes us anxious and afraid. Where can we turn to find hope in our distress? It is often difficult to trust God during hard times. In Psalm 34, David reminds us that God hears, answers, and delivers us.
1I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
This verse2 has encouraged me when I am gripped with uncertainty. I know that God knows my deepest fears, hears me when I cry, and will deliver me.
God hears, answers, and delivers
Psalm 34 portrays someone who has gone through moments of profound uncertainty. David uses words such as fears (meaning terror or dread) and troubles (meaning need or distress). Throughout the Psalm, this person cries out to God for help; they are “brokenhearted” and “crushed in spirit.” Despite affliction, the psalmist understands that God answers prayer in two stages. First, he listens and answers, which changes our outlook; then he delivers and rescues.God hears
Sometimes in the darkest valleys, it feels like God has disappeared and our prayers bounce off the ceiling. God is always near to you and hears your prayers. David uses phrases such as “I sought the Lord”, “this poor man cried”, and “the righteous cry for help” to recall the cries of Israel to God while in Egyptian captivity. We are told, Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.
3 When we remember God’s faithfulness in the past, we can be confident he hears us now. David encourages us to seek God amid our troubles. Throughout Scripture, God promises that If you seek him [God], he will be found by you.
4 Jesus reminds us of this truth when he says, Seek, and you will find”, and “the one who seeks finds.
5 God is always with us, and we will find him if we truly search for him because “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted.” Not only does God hear our prayers, but we can know he will answer them.
God answers
In his first epistle, John tells us, If we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
6 How can we know God will answer our prayers?
Psalm 34 says, “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous”, and “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears.” Indeed, God will hear those who fear and obey him—a truth David powerfully conveys. He warns us that “the Lord is against those who do evil.” This does not mean we must be flawless. Rather, we must have the right heart posture towards God. We must acknowledge his holiness, his goodness, and our need for him. Then, when we place our faith in Jesus, and choose to obey him, we can be confident he will answer us. Therefore, earlier in his letter John said, Whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
7
God delivers
Throughout Psalm 34 David praises God for his deliverance, which was on display in the Exodus from Egypt and in David’s life. David understood God does not always deliver us out of our trials, but sometimes delivers us through them. He wrote of this in Psalm 23 when he said, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
8 God uses hard times in our life to grow us, emotionally and spiritually. James tells us, The testing of your faith produces steadfastness”, which will grow us to “be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
9 Even though things may feel overwhelming during hard times, we can remember that God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
10 We can have peace even though we face tribulation, because Jesus has overcome the world.
Amid difficulty, it can feel as though we have no light or love to give to other people. But, when God hears, answers, and delivers us, the natural result is “the peace of God which surpasses understanding.” David encourages us that just like Moses after he met with God atop Mount Sinai, our faces will be radiant with God’s glory, love, and joy. When we spend time in God’s presence seeking him, we will reflect him without realizing it. God does not just change our perspective of our difficulties, but he delivers us.
It is okay to pray for deliverance
Sometimes it can feel wrong to ask God to deliver us out of our trials. We think, “maybe I deserve this”, or “God wants me to go through this.” While those things may be true, it is still okay to ask God to deliver us from hard times. Jesus models this in the Lord’s Prayer when he says, Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
11 The word translated as “temptation” means trials or testing. It’s okay to ask God not to lead us into times of testing. Jesus asked God, let this cup pass from me in the Garden of Gethsemane. But, he also prayed, “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.
12 We can always pray for God to deliver us, while also knowing he is good no matter the outcome.
Trust God during hard times
God is always with us and hears our prayers. When we approach him with a humble, servant’s heart we can be confident he will answer us. We can experience his joy knowing our trials grow us to maturity. When our circumstances feel overwhelming, it is okay to ask God to rescue us; he is a good father.
What is one burden you can bring before God today? Let the three truths of Psalm 34:4 sink in. Seek the Lord, know that he hears you, and will deliver you. Then, you can join David and proclaim, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”