Psalm 34

1. This psalm is one of the “acrostic” psalms. Its 22 verses begin with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

2. Verse 1 focuses on continually praising God; a concept many of us have forgotten. Our walk with God is part of our life. It should be involved in everything we do.

3. Verse 2 gives us the only reason we should ever boast: God! While this is not speaking of being arrogant in any way, we should be very proud of the relationship we have with our Creator.

4. Verse 6 is a great verse of comfort. Even when we are poor (or afflicted, depending on the translation) God hears us and is willing to save.

5. After saying, in verse 1, that God’s praise would be on his “lips,” David tells us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” If we do that that, we will be blessed.

6. Verse 9 teaches us that, if we will have a reverent attitude toward God, we will never be in want. Verse 10 repeats the same idea for emphasis. We often do not fully understand the import of this passage.

7. Verse 11 is very similar to many statements made in the book of Proverbs, especially in the first few chapters.

8. Verses 12-14 show some very similar traits to other passages in the Psalms of those who are faithful. Some things in this list are very similar to Psalm 15, for example.

9. Verse 16 may seem harsh (especially in our society), but it shows how seriously God treats sin. Am I that serious about it?

10. Verse 18 is a verse that I need to use more often when speaking of God’s care. “The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” What comfort!

11. The final verses (19-22) deal with “the real world” and show how things truly are. These verses show God’s recognition of our plight here.