A Reflection on Psalm 34
This past Sunday I read the 23rd Psalm at a celebration of life. Words of comfort and hope.
It got me to thinking about the Psalms; we read them every Sunday as part or the lectionary cycle of readings. But, for so many of us, the words are extremely old and written in times and places which are very different from our own. And, let’s be honest – some passages contain words of violence that are difficult to hear and hard to understand.
This Sunday, the lectionary suggests Psalm 34. This Psalm was written by King David but do we know the reasoning or the history behind its writing?
David wrote this psalm after a battle with Abimelech. Now, David knew his fair share of pain and suffering. Some of it was unjustly done to him, some was the result of his own foolish choices. Either way, suffering is no fun.
There is something interesting that stands out in this Psalm; “Taste and see that the Lord is Good”. David is inviting the reader to taste the Lord. That is a very graphic image because it goes so much deeper than simply understanding with the mind, but it is ingesting with all the senses. It brings to mind the celebration of Communion and the words “eat his flesh and drink his blood”. When we celebrate Holy Communion, we are invited to make God a part of our inner being, to be fused with our DNA…and it is good.
I like the words “the Lord is good” for good does not mean easy. As we all can attest, life is not easy. But, for people of faith, sometimes the goodness of the Lord is sweetest when storms of life are most bitter.
For those who are unable to join worship on Sunday, I quote here under the words of Psalm 34, verses 1-8, which will be read responsively from More Voices:
I will bless God at all times,
God’s praise will continually be in my mouth.
My soul will glory in God, the humble will hear and be glad.
O, magnify God with me,
Let us exalt God’s name together.
I sought God, who answered me, and freed me from all my fears.
Look to the Most High, and let your light shine,
and your faces will not be shamed.
This poor soul cried out and God heard,
and saved me from all my troubles.
Your angel, O God, keeps guard over those who fear you and delivers them.
Taste and see that our God is good.
Happy are those who take refuge in God.
Fear God, you are the saints,
for those who fear God lack nothing.
One more point of interest in this Psalm. David notes that the angel of the Lord is present with those who fear God, and God delivers them. This use of the word "fear" translated implies deep respect and reverence, not terror. This statement is David's personal testimony.
At SouthWest United, we are not unfamiliar with thoughts of God’s goodness. Worship has often opened with the words “God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good”.
Let’s celebrate that goodness in prayer:
Lord, we do indeed praise you for all your goodness and blessings and for all that you do for us each and every day. Help us to be truly thankful and to bear witness to these blessings in our lives and in the words of the Psalms. Amen
Pastor Beryl, DLM