Psalm 34:15-22
15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to blot out their name from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
What do you find comforting in these verses? Why?
Reflect
I’ve seen the frustrated tears in a woman’s eyes because she has been victimized twice – once by the man who raped her, and then again by people in authority who refused to seek justice on her behalf.
I’ve heard the pain in the voices of African American men and women when their just cause has been ignored. Our justice system has failed too many times to hold police officers who abuse their power accountable. When that abuse happens, too often it’s at the expense of black lives.
I’ve read accounts of Christians in other times or other parts of the world who have served the Lord, loved one another, and worked for the good of all people. Yet, they’ve been persecuted or even martyred for their faith. Their spilled blood cries out for justice.
Perhaps you have been denied justice in some way. Whether that denial has been big and life altering or small, but still significant, someone has hurt you and gotten away with it. Perhaps they even seem to be prospering while you carry the burden of their sin on your own back.
Psalm 34 gives hope to all those who’ve been broken and bruised. Don’t let appearances deceive you. No matter how much it may look like the wicked prosper, God is on your side. He is close to you, brokenhearted one. He hears your cries, he knows your pain, and he will deliver you.
Evil itself will slay the wicked. That which they embrace and indulge will ultimately be their demise. God will see to it. They will be condemned. Their names will be blotted out as if they’d never existed. It’s a terrifying fate. Yet if they do not turn to God and repent, there will be no escape.
Of course, ultimately, it’s the saving grace of Jesus that divides the wicked and the righteous. His righteousness is given to all those who trust in his name. That’s the scandal of the cross. The darkest deeds can be forgiven because Jesus died for all people. All of us who are right before God owe our standing to him alone.
If you’ve put your faith in Christ and committed to following him, you are one of the righteous and God is watching over you. If life’s troubles are threatening to crush you, turn to him. Read Psalm 34:17–22 again. Lean on it. Let it soothe your soul. The Lord is closer than you might think.
Have there been times in your life when you’ve been brokenhearted and crushed in Spirit? How was God there? Who do you know that needs to hear that testimony?
How can you be a help and advocate for those who are hurting? What can you do to help alleviate their suffering?
Respond
If you are struggling through a difficult time or have been a victim of injustice, pour your heart out to God in prayer. Know that he hears your prayers.
Those of us who are doing okay have a responsibility to help carry the burdens of the hurting. Pray for someone that you know who is suffering. Ask the Lord to reveal to you tangible ways you can help.