Psalm 34
Did you know that the book of Psalms is a collection of 150 songs, prayers and poems composed over about 600 years, between 1000 BC to 400 BC, by a variety of Hebrew authors? Many of them express the writer’s emotions and life experiences, include a cry out to God followed by a decision to trust him. As a result, the Psalms have been a source of comfort and encouragement to so many people experiencing difficult times through the years.
Some Psalms focus on ‘lament’ which means to grieve the loss of someone or something, while others focus on praise. Many combine lament and praise, demonstrating that God can be in every aspect of life.
Psalm 34 is a psalm that encourages praise to God while recognising the pain that individuals can experience. It’s an acrostic poem, meaning that each line in the original starts with the subsequent letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Verse 18 is a reminder that God is there for those of us who are hurting.
The New Living Translation tells us: ‘
'The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed’.
Such beautiful words and a wonderful reminder for those who are hurting just now.
Eugene Peterson paints an even more vivid picture of this verse in his Message paraphrase:
‘If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.’
He reminds us that however we are hurting, even if our pain is caused through grief or loss, sadness, anger or fear rather than a physical cause, we will have a physiological response. Emotional pain hurts us physically.
When we feel broken-hearted, our need for something beyond ourselves becomes more evident. The natural reaction may be to turn away from God, but his desire is to pour out his love and give us the courage we need to keep on living and moving forward. God is near, he stays with us, and he will help us get through.
PRAYER
Lord, I thank you that we don’t hurt alone.
I thank you that you feel our pain and you hold us tightly.
You know the pain of death and disconnection intimately.
We can trust that you understand.
Thank you for meeting us where we are hurting, for providing others who can walk alongside us, for rejecting easy answers and for being our ultimate hope.
Amen.
REFLECTION
Choose an online version of Joy Webb’s beautiful song ‘They need Christ!’
Invite members to reflect on how they can help the world become a better place by helping a hurting person.
‘They need Christ’
