During 2025, Peachtree Church is focusing on the Book of Psalms with a series called Dwell, through which we seek to deepen our conversation with God and open ourselves to hearing his response. The practice of praying three times each day will unite the voices of our hearts and souls as we seek the day when we will see the full realization of the Kingdom of God, promised in Revelation 21:3: “…Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
We will email devotionals twice weekly with Monday’s providing an overview of the Psalm as a whole, and Wednesday’s focused on that week’s Daily Dwell.
Psalm 34:1-3
I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
Devotional
Psalm 34 is a psalm of gratitude and encouragement. David wrote it after a time when he was afraid for his life, yet God delivered him. You can hear his relief and joy in the opening words: “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” He begins with a heart full of thanksgiving.
Psalm 34 is also full of promises. David says that those who look to the Lord are radiant, that God hears the cries of his people, and that he is close to the brokenhearted. These words are not empty comfort; they bear witness to God’s faithfulness. David himself had been afraid, but he could say from experience, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”
In our Presbyterian tradition, we often talk about God’s initiative—how God reaches out first in grace, before we even know to ask. This psalm echoes that. God hears before we even know how to cry out. God delivers not because we are strong, but because he is faithful. Our role, like David’s, is to respond with trust and with praise.
And notice, too, that David doesn’t keep his gratitude to himself. He says, “Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.” Faith is never just a private matter; it’s something we share in community. When one of us praises, all of us are encouraged. When one of us tells a story of God’s deliverance, all of us are strengthened.
Additionally, Psalm 34 is an invitation—an invitation to take our fears and place them in God’s hands, an invitation to believe that God is near to the brokenhearted, and an invitation to join together as God’s people in lifting up praise, even when life feels uncertain. David reminds us that the Lord’s goodness is not something we have to earn; it’s something we are invited to taste and see for ourselves: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
Psalm 34 reminds us that God is the one who takes the first step toward us. He hears and draws near to the brokenhearted. Our invitation is to trustingly place our fears in his hands and to join together as his people in lifting up praise.
For Reflection
- Where in your life do you need to be reminded that God hears before you even know how to cry out?
- Who in your community needs to hear your story of God’s deliverance so that their faith might be strengthened?
Prayer
Gracious God, we thank You that You are near to the brokenhearted and that You deliver us from our fears. Teach us to trust Your faithfulness, to rest in Your goodness, and to share our praise with others. May our lives point to Your steadfast love, so that together we may glorify Your name. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Published under
Devotionals