Psalm 34 - Sanity in an Insane World
- Chad Werkhoven
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed.
LAST CHANCE
DRAWING IS DECEMBER 12
AT MIDNIGHT
Psalm 34
Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.
1Â I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2Â I will glory in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3Â Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.
4Â I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5Â Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6Â This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7Â The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
8Â Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9Â Fear the LORD, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10Â The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11Â Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12Â Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13Â keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
14Â Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15Â The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16Â but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to blot out their name from the earth.
17Â The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18Â The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19Â The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;
20Â he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
21Â Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22Â The LORD will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
Canons of Dordt
Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints
Article 12 - The Lifestyle Assurance Brings
This assurance of perseverance, however,
so far from making true believers proud and carnally self-assured,
is rather the true root of
humility,
of childlike respect,
of genuine godliness,
of endurance in every conflict,
of fervent prayers,
of steadfastness
in crossbearing
and in confessing the truth,
and of well-founded joy in God.
Reflecting on this benefit provides an incentive to
a serious and continual practice of thanksgiving and good works,
as is evident from the testimonies of Scripture and the examples of the saints.
Summary
It's probably been awhile since you've read the story of David's pretending to be insane - and many of you likely have never read it at all! You can catch up on those details in 1 Samuel 21, but long story short, David was fleeing from King Saul and hid out in a Philistine city. But by this point, David had killed thousands of Philistines in military conflicts, so he naturally feared what the Philistine king would do when he found out David was hiding in his territory. So David feigned insanity - drooling on his beard and everything - and the rouse worked. The king left the 'insane' David alone.
But this psalm isn't a celebration of David's ability to save his own skin, but rather it's an acknowledgement that when David sought the LORD, and He answered him; He delivered David from all his fears. Whereas David needed to make himself look shameful before the kings of the world, those who look to the LORD are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
There's a pretty good chance that you're not going to need act insane while hiding out from a truly insane king (Saul) in a pagan city where everybody wants you dead. But no matter what it is that you're facing in your own life, you can still benefit from David's psalm, for it reminds you that as the LORD's holy person, you lack nothing when you fear Him.
 Dig Deeper Â
It's the final few verses that brought us to Psalm 34 today as we continue to unpack this doctrine of the perseverance of the saints (saints = the LORD's holy people = you). You already know that being a Christian doesn't mean you get a pass from the problems and afflictions of this world. Sometimes, in fact, you experience those problems more acutely!
David acknowledges this in the final five verses of this psalm. The righteous (that's you by the way!) cry out... They have troubles; they're brokenhearted and crushed in spirit; In fact, the righteous person may have many troubles! But the LORD preserves His people - you - in the midst of these trials. He delivers you from your troubles, is close to you and saves you.
And don't miss how Psalm 34 points you to Christ! Remember that the soldiers overseeing Jesus' execution broke the legs of the other condemned me who hung beside Jesus, but not Jesus' because He had already died, because the LORD protected all the bones of the righteous man; not one of them will be broken.
You're likely reading this near the end of another week. Don't miss the opportunity you'll have on the Lord's Day to gather with the saints and cry out to the LORD, for no one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who is attentive to the cry of His people;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for strength to keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
LAST CHANCE
DRAWING IS DECEMBER 12
AT MIDNIGHT
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 10
