Psalm 34 - God Hears

This is post I've wanted to write for a few weeks, but I didn't have the strength to write it until now. 

Last October was kind of a milestone for me when I celebrated my 38th birthday. I realized that it had been 20 years since my 18th birthday. In some ways, it's hard to believe that 20 years have gone by; time has a way of flying by quickly! In other ways though, it feels like a long time. 20 years is a considerable length of time. 

Naturally, it reminded me of a prayer I prayed around the age of 18. I was reminded that, to this day, that prayer has still been unanswered. Unanswered prayer is a hard thing, especially when you know that you are praying for something that God says, in His Word, is a good thing. It's hard when you've prayed and waited for 20 years. 

At 18 years old, I didn't expect my prayer to be answered immediately, but I decided that it would be nice to pray and commit it to God. So I did that. I joyfully gave it back to God; I had no concern at all. 

I fully believed and expected God would answer my prayer within a few years. That didn't happen. 

I never thought I'd still be praying 20 years later. A short time after my birthday last October, I had a hard time with the realization of this.

Does God hear my prayer? Does He care? 

It felt like He didn't.  

I love God with all my heart, and as far as I know, my heart is right with Him. 

Thinking and feeling that way made me feel very un-spiritual, until I remembered something that David wrote in Psalm 22: 

"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent." Psalm 22:1-2 

Apparently, David had moments in his life when he felt like God wasn't hearing Him either. Many of David's psalms in the Bible begin with similar sentiments.

During that time, I decided to read Psalm 34. 

Psalm 34:8 has been my life verse since I was about 12 years old. I chose that Bible verse after I gave my life to the Lord, and since then, it's been my favorite Bible verse. It says: 

"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." Psalm 34:8 

I read the entire chapter with tears in my eyes. I've read this chapter many times before in my life, but that time, I noticed something I hadn't seen before. There seemed to be a reoccurring theme throughout this psalm. 

What was that theme?    

God hears. 

God hears the prayer and cry of the righteous. 

This psalm was written by David, and he begins this psalm by blessing and praising the Lord. 

"I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 

My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together." Psalm 34:1-3 

In the next few verses, David shares why he is blessing and praising the Lord. Verse 4 says: 

"I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." 

Psalm 34:4 

Once again, in verse 6, David says: 

"This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles." Psalm 34:6 

In the next set of verses, David proceeds to share many, praise worthy attributes about God: 

God's deliverance; God's goodness; God's provision; God's promise of a long and good life for those who seek Him. 

And then, in verses 15 and 17, David repeats it once again: 

"The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry." Psalm 34:15 

"The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles." Psalm 34:17 

The next couple of verses are also comforting and encouraging: 

"The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Psalm 34:18

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." Psalm 34:19 

I've suffered much to follow God, especially in my own home and family. According to God's Word, one of the marks of a righteous person is that they will suffer many afflictions. Suffering is one of the marks that you have the real thing. There is a tremendous cost to follow God, but God promises to be near and to deliver those who choose to walk with Him. 

David ends this psalm by beautifully declaring: 

"The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate." Psalm 34:22 

I'm not sure if I've ever read a more beautiful and encouraging psalm! Psalm 34:8 has been my favorite Bible verse, and now, Psalm 34 has, undoubtedly, become my favorite Psalm. 

God hears. God cares. God is near to the brokenhearted even when it may not always feel like it. 

I share this post, very vulnerably, to hopefully bring encouragement to other hurting hearts. 

Quite often, when God lays a blog post on my heart to write, I begin to see others share the same thing! Just in the last few weeks, I've seen two other, dear sisters in the Lord share that they have also been praying and waiting on God for a while, even wondering if He hears them. 

If your heart is after God, take heart, my friend. God hears you! 

I don't always understand God's ways or God's plans. His Word says that His ways are higher than ours, and I know that God alone sees the bigger picture of our lives. 

Last week, I spent hours in prayer weeping before the Lord, asking Him specifically for something, something different than mentioned above. I went to bed one night with eyes so puffy and swollen I could barely keep them open. During the night, my eyes crusted shut from all my tears the day before. I had to wash my face with warm water several times during the night to get my eyes to open.

My heart was heavy; no answer had come that I could see. I wasn't going to stay in that depressed state, so I pulled out a small harp. 

I've always wanted to write music, but nothing much would ever come to me. I decided to put Psalm 34 in front of me with my harp, and I silently prayed:

 “My Father, please give me a song.”

God answered. Within a short minute or two of playing my small harp, a melody that I've never heard before came to me. It fit perfectly with the words of Psalm 34. It begins with:  

"I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." 

In time, I hope to share this song. For now, this song is still in progress as I continue to write the remaining verses, all of them taken directly from Psalm 34. 

One of my favorite verses from this new song will be: 

"I sought the LORD, and he heard me!"