Psalm 34 (KJV): This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him

From Psalms

Psalm 34
(Written by David when he pretended to be crazy in front of Abimelech, so that Abimelech would send him away, and David could leave.)


¹I will bless the LORD at all times:
      his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
²My soul shall make her boast in the LORD:
      the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
³O magnify the LORD with me,
      and let us exalt his name together.

⁴I sought the LORD,
      and he heard me,
 and delivered me
      from all my fears.
⁵They looked unto him, and were lightened:
      and their faces were not ashamed.
⁶This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him,
      and saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷The angel of the LORD encampeth round
      about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
⁸O taste and see that the LORD is good:
      blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

⁹O fear the LORD,
      ye his saints:
for there is no want to them that fear him.
¹⁰The young lions do lack,
      and suffer hunger:
but they that seek the LORD
      shall not want any good thing.

¹¹Come, ye children, hearken unto me:
      I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
¹²What man is he that desireth life,
      and loveth many days, that he may see good?
¹³Keep thy tongue from evil,
      and thy lips from speaking guile.
¹⁴Depart from evil, and do good;
      seek peace, and pursue it.

¹⁵The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous,
      and his ears are open unto their cry.
¹⁶The face of the LORD is against them that do evil,
      to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
¹⁷The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth,
      and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;
      and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

¹⁹Many are the afflictions of the righteous:
      but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
²⁰He keepeth all his bones:
      not one of them is broken.

²¹Evil shall slay the wicked:
      and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
²²The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants:
      and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

I'm beginning to enjoy King James Version of psalms.  I use to see it as stodgy and sometime difficult to understand.  This may make me sound as crazy as David was trying to come across here, however, there's a few things this translation teaches me.  First, in KJV, we are the Lord's saints - not just his people (verse 9).  That certainly carries with it a slightly greater implications than simply being one of his people or children.

The other thing I like is the use of affliction, which, sounds like addiction and, is defined as the source or cause of suffering.  The term is used in other translations but not as frequently I find.  What we learn here is that you can be afflicted but still be righteous - not only that but (from verse 19) the righteous will likely have many afflictions.  This baffled me for the longest time.  I thought somehow my affliction of addiction made me incapable of a real relationship with God.  What I know now is you simply need to let go and trust in the Lord before he will always bring you safely through - but know he will bring you safely through.

How do I know?  Well because in my time of need.  When I had no hope left.  When everything had seemed lost (the emotions of verse 18) I finally cried out.  I finally asked for help - His help.  He heard me and he saved me out of all my troubles.  OK, saved seems out of place.  It's out of place because I'm still in the process of being saved.  It's more like He's saving me.  The truth is the trouble never stops so I guess it will be a continual process of saving.  A process which I am praising and blessing God for every day, one day at a time.

Thanks for letting me share.