Psalm 34:4-8 - "I Sought the LORD"

“I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears." David writes Psalm 34 during the time he is hiding in the cave of Adullum after he barely escapes from the Philistines at Gath, and at the same time he is fleeing from the wrath of King Saul who is determined to kill him. In this time of great trouble David turns to the LORD. Just a few days before, David had gone to the enemy, the Philistines, to seek protection and help but that turned out to be a total disaster. Whenever we go to the world to seek relief, protection, and help before we go to the LORD, we are always making a mistake! The first thing David does is to worship and praise the LORD and encourage his men to do the same (vv. 1-3). Now in verses 4-8, he describes at least three things that the LORD did for him and his men when they “sought the LORD”.  The LORD saves those who seek Him (vv. 4-8). He keeps them (v. 7), and He satisfies them (v. 8). David tells us that when he sought the Lord he was saved from “all his fears” or "terrors" within him (v. 4). And when he cried to the Lord, he was delivered from “all his troubles” around him (v. 6). To seek the LORD is the same as to look to the LORD; and when we look to Him by faith, He looks to us and "shines upon us" (Psalm 4:6; Num. 6:22-27). I’ll never forget hearing Dr. Charles Swindoll saying that one of the most important things that we can give our children is a heart that seeks after the LORD! To seek the LORD means that we determine that our first thoughts when we wake up in the morning are about Him! We thank Him for His protection through the night. We ask Him to help us wake up and get out bed. We take a few minutes to have a “quiet time” and meditate on His Word and pray. We yield the entire day to Him and ask for His guidance. We might listen to praise and worship music while we are getting ready and on the way to school or work. To seek the LORD means that we get to know Him by His many names! Because when we know His name, we will have confidence to put our trust in Him. Psalm 9:9-10 teaches us that: “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” If we begin our day by walking in unbelief, our faces will be ashamed. But if we seek the LORD and walk by faith, our faces will be aglow (Ex. 34:29; Matt. 17:2; Acts 6:15; 2 Cor. 3:18). The word "radiant" in verse 5 describes the joyful countenance of a mother who is welcoming her children home (Isa. 60:4-5). After the Lord saves us, He keeps us and sends His angels to protect us (v. 7). See Psalm 35:5-6; Gen. 48:16; and Ex. 14:19). The Angel of the Lord is Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity (Josh. 5:13-15), the Lord of the hosts of the angels, who made pre-incarnation visits to His people during Old Testament times. The angels are servants of the saints today and minister to us in ways we will never know about until we get to heaven (Heb. 1:14). Those who seek the Lord will discover that He not only saves and keeps but that He also satisfies (v. 8). "Taste" doesn't suggest a sip or a nibble; it implies feeding on the Lord through His Word and experiencing all He has for us (1 Peter 2:3; see Heb. 2:9 and 6:3). It means knowing Him better and enjoying Him more. It was a great blessing for David to be delivered from Gath, and it was a greater blessing for him to be protected by the Lord after he fled, but the greatest blessing was drawing nearer to God and enjoying His presence, not just His gifts. David found God's Word sweet (Psalm 119:103), and he rejoiced in the goodness of the Lord. Today, ask the LORD to give you and your family a heart to seek the LORD! God bless!