Psalm 34: Trusting While Waiting

It was a lifetime ago, and yet it feels like yesterday.
After a year of intermittent fevers, headaches, and dizziness, a CAT scan revealed that our ten-year-old son had a brain cyst. Because it was putting pressure on his brain, surgery was necessary. But first we had to wait for an ear infection to clear.

After a week, the infection cleared up. We signed a paper giving a surgeon consent to drill a hole in our son’s skull—and then we waited for the doctor to tell us the surgery was finished.

As I look back on those long hours of waiting, it is something I would never wish to go through again. But there is one thing I never want to forget. Each time I felt like I was going to fall apart, verses from Scripture would come to mind. My thoughts were scattered and foggy due to lack of sleep, but Scripture gave me something to focus on.

God’s words provided comfort, strength, and hope. Time and time again, I would return to the words from Psalm 34.

Psalm 34 became my anchor during those long hours of waiting.​

Psalm 34:1 – I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
At first, these words may seem confusing. How can we genuinely bless him during difficult times? Despite the circumstances, Yahweh is worthy of blessing, and we have many reasons to praise him. God often provides people who come alongside us to help. Like the psalmist, together we can exalt his name.


Psalm 34:4 – I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
When fears threaten to overwhelm us, we can cry out to him. The pain and fear may remain, but they do not have the final word—Yahweh is always sustaining and surrounding us.


Psalm 34:9 – Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
God does what is best for his children. He gave his own Son to provide for our greatest need. The love that compelled him to save us also provides for our daily needs. We can trust him and run to him for refuge—and in his care, we lack nothing that we truly need.


Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
In the moments when we feel like we are going to fall apart, we turn to him. We can be comforted by the assurance that he is near and that he hears our prayers. We don’t have to rely on our own strength—his constant presence will strengthen us.


Psalm 34:19-20 – Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
These words may seem confusing at first. Whereas the psalmist previously spoke about a group, here he points to one specific person. These words were quoted in the Gospels about Jesus’ crucifixion. God understands our suffering because his Son suffered.


Psalm 34:22 – The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
We can cling to these words! While there are trials and suffering here and now, our lives will be redeemed. Regardless of the outcome of our present trial, our troubles in this life are brief compared to the eternal glory that we will soon enter. Our refuge is not in this broken world, but in him who has given us a certain hope.


Each time I meditated on the words of this psalm, they reminded me where I can find lasting hope and comfort. After all the waiting, the doctor told us the surgery had gone well. Our son recovered quickly, and the symptoms he had endured for a year were resolved. None of the fears I had imagined became a reality.

I am grateful for how God’s Word sustained me and helped me trust Him with the outcome.
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“I sought Yahweh and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” — Psalm 34:4

Also see: In the Middle of Suffering
                 Dear Chronic Condition