Happiness of Those Trusting in God

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 34:1-22

 

Psalm 34:1-3

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
² My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
³ Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

(NKJV)

 

When we find ourselves in trouble, our response may be to go somewhere safe. For David who was fleeing for his life from Saul, it meant going to Achish the king of Gath (1 Samuel 21:10). If Gath sounds familiar, it is also where Goliath was from, and in fact, David had gone to Gath with the sword of Goliath (1 Samuel 21:9). Perhaps David realized where he was and whose sword he had and out of fear of attack from king Achich, faked being mad to escape attack (1 Samuel 21:12-15). This is the historical context of when David wrote Psalm 34, a psalm of praise to God even in these troubling circumstances.

 

Psalm 34 begins with David declaring he will bless the Lord at all times with His praise continually in his mouth (Psalm 34:1). His soul will also make its boast in the Lord with the humble hearing it and being glad with David inviting everyone to join him in magnifying the Lord and exalting His name (Psalm 34:2-3). David sought the Lord when fearful, and the Lord heard and delivered him with those looking at David radiant and unashamed (Psalm 34:4-5). David, as a poor man, cried out to the Lord and was heard and delivered (Psalm 34:6). David declares that the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and they are delivered (Psalm 34:7).

 

David invites us to taste and see that the Lord is good with those placing their trust in Him, blessed (Psalm 34:8). David invites us to fear the Lord, for there is no need for those doing so (Psalm 34:9). Young lions lack and suffer hunger, but those seeking the Lord lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10).

 

David then invites the children to come and learn from him about the fear of the Lord (Psalm 34:11). A man who desires a long life to see good must keep his tongue from evil, speaking deceit, and depart from doing evil, doing good, and seeking peace (Psalm 34:12-14). The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous with His ears open to their cries, with the face of the Lord against those doing evil, cutting their remembrance off from the earth (Psalm 34:15-16). When the righteous cry out, the Lord hears and delivers them from their troubles (Psalm 34:17). The Lord is near to those with a broken heart and saves those with a contrite spirit (Psalm 34:18).

 

The righteous have many afflictions, but the Lord delivers them out of them all, guarding their bones so not one of them is broken (Psalm 34:19-20). Evil shall slay the wicked with those hating righteousness condemned (Psalm 34:21). In contrast, the Lord redeems the soul of His servants with no one trusting in Him condemned (Psalm 34:22).

 

The context of the writing of this Psalm is when David pretended to be mad before King Achish, with him driven away (1 Samuel 21:10-15). This leads to the question of why David would experience happiness in trusting God at this time. The answer lies in the source of David’s happiness. During this time in David’s life, his circumstances were not good, and if he based his happiness on these circumstances, he would be unhappy. However, David’s happiness was not based on his circumstances but on his trust in the Lord, who he knew would deliver him from all his fears (Psalm 34:4). David could experience sustainable happiness and joy because it came from an unchanging God.

 

We may find ourselves in unusual or even strange circumstances with no seeming possibility of happiness or joy, yet David shows us it is possible when we trust in God. If my happiness and joy are based on circumstances in my life that constantly change, I will find myself on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. One of the benefits of living with a trust in God is the stability of joy and happiness that is not based on one's circumstances, but on trust in an unchanging God.

 

When Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water with Jesus, it was because his eyes were on Jesus (Matthew 14:29-31). However, when he looked at the storm going on around him, his circumstances, Peter began to sink. Such is our joy and happiness when we focus on our circumstances and take our eyes off the Lord. To do this, one must have a relationship with God through what Jesus did by confessing our belief in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 10:9-10), opening the door for us to build our life on the stability of an unchanging God. If you are reading this and have never made this confession of faith, I invite you to do so now by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

I urge you to find a Church teaching the truth of God’s word so you can have sustainable joy built on this foundation of truth. May God challenge and empower everyone reading this post.