July 3, 2022

Ridgeline Study Prompts

Psalm 34

Prayer and Preparation

Psalm 34 invites the reader to taste and see that the Lord is good. Just like we wouldn’t want to rush through a delicious tasting meal, make sure you take time to enjoy this Psalm. Allow its truth to sink in; allow it to satisfy your soul.

Study

Psalm 34 is a psalm of David, written in response to God delivering him in the Philistine city of Gath, as he fled from Saul. After escaping from one enemy, he found himself surrounded by other enemies (look again at Psalm 22:21). The first seven verses are David’s testimony; the rest of the psalm is David’s instructions to learn from his testimony. Write out a summary of his testimony of deliverance (vv. 1-7), then a summary of his instructions to be learned from his testimony (vv. 8-22).

The second part of this Psalm is like other wisdom literature in the Scriptures. The statements are not a
formula of behaviors to manipulate God; they give guidelines and principles about our posture and our character that generally have a positive impact on our engagement with God. With that in mind, what does Psalm 34 say are attributes of those who are saved by the Lord in the midst of their troubles?

Application
Write out a fresh story of how God has brought deliverance to you. Discuss your answer with your family or close spiritual partners. Then plan on sharing a fresh testimony of deliverance to the church family this Sunday during our service. We can all benefit from the boasting in God’s faithful deliverance.