The record shows this as a Psalm written by David after escaping from Achish (otherwise known as Abimelech), the king of Gath.
Gath was one of the five principle Philistine cities, the home of Goliath. Fleeing from Saul, David finds himself in front of the king Achish, before whom he feigns madness to avoid retribution. Later, David serves under Achish for about a year. Later, when David’s fortunes are restored, Gath comes under his dominion. Much could be said about all this but we’re ahead of ourselves…
This event occurs rather early in the life of David, not long after he had defeated Goliath and earned a reputation as a mighty warrior. Saul had turned against him, and he was fleeing for his life (It’s worth reading the account, found in 1 Samuel 21:10-22:1).
Who is this man from whose heart Psalm 34 pours out? His story from 1 Samuel gives us some idea, but we also get an insight from within the Psalm itself:
A humble man, who feared God
One who sought God, crying out to HIm
A poor man, in trouble
A man in distress and needing deliverance
One seeking refuge
A man broken-hearted, crushed in spirit and afflicted
One desiring life and many days, and to see goodAll this, however, merely serves as a backdrop; it is God who comes to the fore throughout this psalm of praise. God is revealed as one who: hears the cries of the poor, the humble watches continually over the righteous is near to the broken-hearted answers attends to their cries saves the crushed in spirit redeems his servants preserves your life encamps around those who fear him is a refuge provides for every need, every good thing who does not allow his own to be ashamed delivers from fear, every affliction, and from all troubles is good opposes evil and wipes out those who do evil slays the wicked and condemns them
A humble, broken man who fears the Lord and seeks out for God encounters a God who is attentive to his cries, watchful over his life, rescues and delivers him from all affliction, trouble and fear, provides every good thing, and shows to be a God of goodness, kindness and mercy.
David blessed and praised the Lord according to his experience. But from his experience, he then also expresses the faithfulness of God to continually act according to his nature as already revealed to him. He is, in fact, speaking out ‘in faith.’
It’s one thing to look back over your life and see the faithfulness of God, praising him retrospectively for what he has done. It’s another completely to look to the future, have faith to believe in his goodness in spite of the uncertainty that the future holds, and praise him for what he is yet to do.
“Now faith is the assurance [the confirmation, the title deed] of the things we hope for, the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].” (Heb 11:1, Amplified, bold added).
The main point I want to make is this: our experience with God ought not simply to reveal something about who God is. It also ought to transform the way we think, believe and live in regards to the future. Experience ought to transform us, and cause us to believe in, rely upon, and trust in the Lord stepping out into the mystery of our future. Hence the quote from Hebrews 11:1 – faith being the conviction of things unseen. We cannot see into the future. So how do you know if things will work out for good or not?
Without God, you don’t. You’re left to ‘fate’. But with God, you can have absolute assurance, peace, and security by resting in his nature – his goodness. It is knowing that, in spite of what my senses may sometimes tell me, God is near, he provides, he saves the crushed in spirit, he delivers from every affliction, he preserves your life.
David didn’t praise God because his life was free from fear, trouble and affliction. Rather it was through all the fears and troubles that he discovered the nature of God, which lead his soul to “boast in the Lord.”
It’s hard to say how much our faith plays it’s part in God’s acting in our lives (I think he does it far more often in spite of our lack of faith than because of it). But I do know this: that the encounters we have with God ought to bring about the fruit of faith. It is what enables us to walk in peace, joy and righteousness. For the kingdom is … “not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). The kingdom is not primarily about having pleasant circumstances; it is about a state of being that arises out of your abiding in Jesus Christ: a one-ness with God that has you placing absolute trust in Him, in His goodness, and trusting in His directing of your life.
For me, it is not my faith that gives me confidence in life; it is knowing God’s faithfulness. I really do think my faith amounts to little more than a mustard seed. But I’d rather be holding a little faith in an ever-faithful God, than have great faith in a fickle, arbitrary, ‘faith-less’ God. I am a person of faith because I believe in Jesus Christ. But it is not my faith that gives me my confidence; it is God’s faithfulness toward me.
Thank the Lord, for he is faithful: Faithful to his Word, faithful in character, faithful toward those who are humble enough to seek him, faithful toward those who are broken-hearted and crushed in spirit.
If you’re wondering what opened the door to David’s experiences with God, well, part of it was divine will: God chose David to be his anointed. However, there are two qualities we know David for, and which I believe position us to encounter our heavenly Father: he was humble in heart, and he sought after God; “A man after God’s own heart.”
Do you want to know God? Do you want to discover the wonders of his person? Do you want that assurance – that blessing of his kingdom – in your heart?
Your circumstances are ripe for discovery – humble yourself, and seek God in the midst of them. Ask him to show his goodness in light of your troubles, your fears, your afflictions, and your brokenness. Cry out that you might “taste and see that the Lord is good!”
– Douglas Smythe