I have two favorite Psalms that I often read to help me get through challenges or walk through valleys. This is one of them; the other is Psalm 91. Both are filled with promises of God’s loving care, so I turn to them when I need to feel His comfort all around me.

We are not supposed to just praise God when all is going well for us. We are to praise God AT ALL TIMES! If we feel like bragging (and who doesn’t sometimes), then our boast should be in the Lord and all He has done. There is always something great that God has done or is doing for us that we can tell others about. As Christians, when we give a testimony about what God is doing or has done, we are exalting His name in the hope that others will want to know God in the same way that we know Him.

These verses don’t say that God takes away our troubles; rather, He takes away our fears. He saves us FROM our troubles, surrounding and defending us, but we still have troubles. I have found in my life that I grow more spiritually during the challenging times because that is when I press in closer to God.

The big word for me in these verses is “refuge.” Those who are safe don’t need to look for shelter, so this is telling me that troubles will happen, even to those who are “godly people.” But even when we face difficulties, God will continue to supply all that we need, physically, emotionally, mentally. Trusting in the Lord means that we don’t have to fret over our needs because we will “lack no good thing.”

How do we show that we fear the Lord? By speaking truth and love and goodness, not evil and lies. By turning away from bad choices and choosing to do good instead. It is up to us to maintain peace with others, even those with whom we disagree. Notice the word “work.” I think that means peace doesn’t come easily but it is a task that we must exert effort to keep.

I am so thankful that God is always watching over me and listening to me when I cry out to Him. I am not righteous because of what I have done, but because of His Son’s sacrifice, so I call on God frequently for help. I feel sad for those who don’t know God and who live for doing evil; they may have everything shiny here on earth but one day, they will no longer exist, with even the memory of them gone. God does not promise that we won’t have troubles, but He promises to rescue us. If we are broken-hearted and our spirits are crushed, assailed by all of the evil around us, God holds us close and rescues us from our feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.

I really don’t like the reality and truth of this verse: “the righteous person faces many troubles….” But I do like the promise here, that the Lord comes to rescue us each time. He doesn’t sometimes look away and leave us to be washed away. He protects us. Verse 20 is a prophecy about Christ. If you recall, Jesus did not have His bones broken on the cross as the soldiers started to do because He had already died. I would like to claim this promise for me, too, but it specifically refers to Jesus. (I have broken my right elbow three times and my left ankle once because I fell. Fortunately, God took care of me during these incidents and I did not need surgery…just time to heal.)

I love the idea of redemption for those of us who are serving the Lord. And the part about the wicked being destroyed spurs me to tell more people about Him so that they can change their lives and become righteous. My favorite part of this section is that the psalmist returns to the theme of God’s being our refuge. We take refuge in Him because we need a shelter and He doesn’t kick us out to fend for ourselves. He provides the shelter we need for as long as we need it.

I pray that these verses have spoken to your hearts today just as they do to me each time I read them. I will leave you with a song that started me on my journey of seeking solace in this beautiful and promise-filled Psalm.

Psalm 34-The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir