God’s Preservation Through, And Deliverance Out of Danger – Psalms 34 & 118

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” – Psalms 34:4

“The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies.” – Psalms 118:7

In the crucible of persecution, a Christian’s most profound struggle lies in exchanging the paralyzing fear of man for the awe-inspiring fear of God.

God’s Word provides assurance after assurance that God will deliver His children from dangers and hardships or be present through them. The record of Scripture and the history of the church provide numerous illustrations, in the lives of prophets, kings, and common people, that God is “always” present to provide strength and courage to those who trust Him.

But despite these illustrations and promises, God’s children often fail to rely on Him. In their fear of men, they try to find their own means of escape from danger. Psalm 34, attributed to David, notes that the Psalm was written when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech (Achish), who drove David away. This act of deception, born out of fear and desperation, serves as a stark contrast to the Psalm’s message of trust in God.

David, a man after God’s own heart, was not immune to moments of weakness and fear. Robert L. Deffinbaugh writes:

David, under the pressure of the pursuit of Saul, had begun to weaken in his fear of the Lord and had come to fear men instead (in particular, Achish). This led to acts of deception for it was more important to David in his present state of heart to satisfy Achish than to please God. David also reacted wrongly to the danger occasioned by Saul’s murderous intentions. Deception became David’s way of dealing with danger.

Yet, in his vulnerability, he sought God for deliverance and discovered God’s steadfast love and protection. Psalms 34:7 portrays God as David’s guardian and deliverer:

“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.”

John Calvin notes:

David, therefore, admonishes the faithful never to lose their courage, whatever evils may threaten them; since God, who can as easily deliver them a thousand times as once from death, will never disappoint their expectation.

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Psalm 118, a song of thanksgiving, echoes the same theme of God as deliverer and protector. Psalm 118:6 reads:

“The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Further verses 13-14 declare:

“I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation.”

Psalms 34 and 118 remind us that fear in the face of persecution is not sinful. Instead, it is sinful to fear the wrong person. It is sinful to succumb to the paralyzing “fear of men” and not the awe-inspiring “fear of God.” These Psalms remind us that God is our deliverer and protector, who watches over his people and rescues them from dangers. He promises to bless those who fear Him with the strength to face every trial and obstacle with courage and grace.