Wednesday's Big Idea: Psalm 34

Psalm 34 is such a great psalm - to pray through it is so easy and there is a goldmine there for all kinds of prayers. I don't have a lot to say about it right now - just a few key things - so I'm going to quote in full, below. We applied the psalm to a few key people who could use some prayer and I'm confident that God hears our petitions.

Here are a few key things that stand out to me:

1) It begins with a corporate call to worship (see also "Hallowed be thy name"). I love this invitation: "Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together." This is just so right. It is a call to unity - I'm going to glorify the LORD, won't you join me?

2) It is a Messianic prayer (see verse 20), referred to in the Gospel of John

3) It was noticed by Rick P (I think) that this Psalm was written when David was fleeing from Saul and pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech. Abimelech was also the name of the king whom both Abraham and Isaac had told that their wives were their sisters. Not sure if this is meaningful in any way, but it's interesting.

I've like this psalm for a while now, and so I'm just going to reprint it here courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

Psalm 34 (New International Version)

Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.

^{1 [a]} I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.

² My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

³ Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

⁶ This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

⁹ Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.

¹⁰ The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

¹¹ Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

¹² Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,

¹³ keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.

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

¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;

¹⁶ the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.

¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;

²⁰ he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

²¹ Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

²² The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.