Ps 34: 22, But the Lord has paid for the freedom of his servants, and he will freely pardon those who love him. He will declare them free and innocent when they turn to hide themselves in him.[1]
Sometimes in life I may find myself in a place where I should not be. My own sin has led me there. When I truly repent and call out to the Lord I can always come to him. Like the prodigal son, we will not be turned away when we humble ourselves before the Lord.
David had gone to Gath to try to hide from King Saul. Going to the King of Gath may not have been where David was to be, but when he humbled himself, the Lord did not turn him away but protected him. David could hide in the Lord instead of in the land of his enemies.
The thief on the cross came to Jesus and was not turned away. Obviously because of his crimes he found himself in a place he should not have been, the cross. When he repented Jesus said to him, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
In his time of distress and danger, David wrote two different Psalms or songs. Psalm 56 appears to be written before David escaped Philistia, and Psalm 34 was written after his escape. These two Psalms paint a beautiful picture of who God is. He is worthy of our praise. He can be trusted. He keeps his promises. He is a God that answers prayer as I turn to him in good times and bad times. He is a God of rescue and is aware all that is going on in my life. It is this God of rescue that gave His life for us upon the cross at Calvary. It is the God of rescue who now calls us to faith. It is the God of rescue that transforms us to be more like Jesus. Like David we can praise God for He is worthy of our praise. We can praise Him even during a pandemic. We can hide in Him free from fear and in His safe arms. To God be the glory.
To hear more about David and his story, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/series/david-and-his-songs-the-early-years/keep-your-eyes-on-the-lord
[1] The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017 by BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC.